All that Glitters is not Gold
by LittleDarlingXOX
Summary: Thorin has decreed a marriage between Kili and a noble Lord of choice to strengthen relations. Kili soon finds, though, that the Lord pursuing him is not all that he seems.*Story adopted from ROSSELLA1's discontinued "Hath No Fury". Check it out for original idea!*
1. Chapter 1

"Sit still," Fili insisted, pushing his hand down against his brother's shoulder.

"I'm trying," Kili complained, resisting the urge to squirm again as his brother gathered the strands of his dark hair together again. "These formal clothes itch something horrible. What was wrong with what I had on before?"

He felt a puff of breath on his neck as his brother laughed from his standing position behind him, securing his hair back with his silver clasp. "It's the feast to celebrate our reclamation of Erebor. Dwarves from every kingdom are coming, including potential suitors for you. Uncle would prefer it if you did not smell like the stables when they come to talk to you."

He let his brother comb out the tangles in his hair until it laid in waves against his shoulders. When his hands fell away from his head, Kili turned to face him. "I'd sooner live in the stables then talk to those nobles. Why would Uncle want to marry me off, Fili? We've only just reclaimed Erebor and already he wants to send me away. Have I done something wrong?"

Fili sighed and sat down across from his brother. "I've told you, it's nothing like that. A marriage between you and a noble dwarf would secure an alliance with dwarves from other kingdoms. Uncle Thorin would never do it by choice, it is just a matter of politics."

Kili looked up at his brother through his dark bangs. "Do I even have a say in who I marry?"

Fili gave his shoulder a soft squeeze and Kili knew his brother was trying to bring him comfort without lying to him. "The ultimate decision resides in Thorin's hands, but yes, I would say you have some choice in the matter. Any suitor who is interested in you would have to court you first."

Kili blew his bangs out of his face, already annoyed by talk of courting and marriage. Did everyone presume him to be some Dwarrow lass who'd fall head over heels for gestures of courage and devotion? Had he not proven anything but that during their quest to slay the dragon Smaug and reclaim Erebor? As long as he was not wed to some dwarf who kept him locked inside for the rest of his life, he figured he would be fine.

"You say you feel sympathy for me, brother, and yet you aren't the one who has to dance and talk with strangers all night." Kili glared at him.

"I'm Thorin's heir, Kee. I can't be married off." Fili sighed. Kili didn't mean to hold the fact that Fili was Thorin's heir against him, in all honesty, Kili had no desire for the throne. It was the idea that he and Fili would be separated by this arrangement that made him bitter. No matter how many quiet words of comfort Fili whispered to him late in the night, the realization was heart wrenching and inevitable.

A knock sounded outside the door. "Lads, it is time." Dwalin called out.

Kili stood from his chair, exchanging a nervous look with Fili, before he was pulled into a hug, strong arms encircling him. The braids of Fili's mustache tickled his face as he whispered. "You'll be fine, _nadad_."

They followed Dwalin through the stone halls of Erebor, Kili just behind Fili. They entered the throne room and even after a whole month here, Kili couldn't help but be intimidated by the sheer size of the room. His arm hair raised to attention at the feel of the giant stone dwarf kings of Durin looking down upon him, their battle axes gripped firmly, ready to cut him down if he brought disgrace to their name tonight, or so it felt. Kili was only slightly less anxious when he caught his uncle Thorin's eye as he made his way down the stone aisle that lead to the dais. Thorin smiled reassuringly at him as he reached the throne, meeting him halfway at the bottom of the steps.

"Kili," he said, cupping a hand against his cheek. Kili resisted the urge to lean into the touch, so unaccustomed to his uncle's infrequent gestures of fondness. "Today is a very important day for you. I expect you to act like a prince of Erebor, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Uncle. I'll make you proud," Kili declared. And he would, no matter how much he did not agree with his Uncle's arrangement, he would do right by his family. He would show that he was a true heir of Durin. Thorin gaze slipped behind him and Kili turned to see his mother striding towards them.

"Mother—" Kili and Fili hurried to her at the same time. She spread her arms wide and tugged them both in towards her chest, enveloping them into the velveteen fabric of her dress.

"My boys. I've missed you both so much," she sighed, kissing them both on the top of their heads. Fili quickly reciprocated with a kiss to his mother's cheek.

"I had feared you wouldn't make it in time, sister." Thorin spoke from behind Kili, giving him a start. He quickly stepped aside to let his uncle and mother embrace.

Dis smiled at her brother, "Tonight is a most special night. I would not dare miss it."

She turned to appraise her boys, giving Fili a once-over and an approving nod of her head. When she looked at Kili, she broke into a laugh, doing nothing to hide her smile.

"Never would I have thought to see my wild little Kili looking so princely. My, if you don't clean up nice. I suppose I have Fili to thank for this." She shared a smile with Fili who quickly tried to conceal his smirk into his hand as he caught his younger brother's annoyed glare.

"Don't see what's so nice about being royalty. These clothes feel like they are infested with fleas." Kili grumbled, tugging once again at the collar of his tunic. Fili was quick to smack his hand away.

"You'll only irritate your skin." Fili insisted. Kili retaliated by tugging one of the braids of Fili's mustache sharply, causing his brother to jerk sideways into him with an undignified squawk.

"Boys!" Dis scolded, like it had only been yesterday that she had caught them in their brotherly antics. Fili, of course, was the first to compose himself.

"My King," a dwarf entered the hall and Kili thought he might be one of Uncle's attendants. "Lord Dáin Ironfoot of the Iron Hills has just arrived with his people."

"Yes, "Thorin announced, "Please let them through the gate. We will receive them immediately."

The attendant left the hall and Thorin sat himself back down upon his throne. Fili and Kili followed their mother up to the smaller seats on either side of the King's throne. All around the hall there was a flurry of activity, advisors taking up their positions, attendants making last minute adjustments to the decor. Kili placed his hands on top of his thighs, resisting the urge to squirm as uneasiness overtook him. He knew he was acting ridiculous and Fili would tell him the same. He wanted one last comforting gesture from his brother to calm himself, but Fili was sitting on the other side of Thorin and there was no time as the doors to the throne room were pushed open.

Dáin Ironfoot entered the throne room, followed closely by a procession of his court of noble dwarves and their families. Behind them attendants carried fealty gifts to the King under the mountain. Dáin and his court knelt as a group at the foot of the steps, Kili finally getting to see just how large the group was as he caught sight of the last line of dwarves near the large doors. Kili vaguely wondered if they would be able to fit this kingdom's court in with the dwarves from the other kingdoms.

"Please, Cousin. Rise and come greet me properly." Thorin said and Dáin ascended the steps and kissed Thorin's ring before embracing his kin in a fierce hug as Kili had seen many dwarf warriors do. Up close, Kili could see Dáin had graying blonde hair and an intricately plated beard.

"It is a great honor to be back home again, my king. For a long time I thought I'd never see it again." Dáin kissed Dís' hand. "Your highness, it is lovely to see you again after so long. I hope you are doing well, as are your sons."

"Thank you, My Lord. You are very thoughtful." Dís replied.

The fealty gifts were brought forward, the chests opened and presented to Thorin for inspection. Afterwards came the introductions of all the noble dwarves from the court of the Iron Hills. Kili could not hope to remember all of their names. He reassured himself that it did not matter, he would meet them all again throughout the night. He was relieved when Uncle proclaimed that they move to the Great Hall of Thrór for the feast. Kili ended up seated next to Dwalin at the long wooden table set up for the royal family and their companions at the back of the hall. Kili did not mind for once that his brother sat a ways down the table from him as Dwalin regaled him with his battle stories, pointing out the scars to match. With each ale the dwarf warrior consumed, however, his tales began to get more outlandish until Kili was having trouble believing he wasn't just making up stories on the spot for his benefit.

"Now, this scar here laddie—"

Kili was interrupted from Dwalin's latest story as a hand clapped down on his shoulder. Kili turned to find Fili beside him, mug of mead in his other hand.

Fili leaned down so that his voice could be heard over the festivities happening around them. "Uncle sends me to tell you there's a line of dwarves waiting to dance with you."

His brother pointed off to Kili's left where he could see at least three dwarves standing off to the side. One in particular smiled at Kili as he met his eye across the room and nodded his greetings. Kili returned the smile and exhaled a long sigh as he turned back towards his brother.

Fili looked entirely too smug, his eyes gleaming. Whether it was with mischief or from the alcohol, Kili was not sure. "See someone you like already, Kee? Remember not to seem too eager, little brother." he teased.

"Shut up." Kili moved past Fili towards the waiting group of suitors. The musicians switched to a pounding song of fiddles, flutes, and drums. Kili followed the first dwarf out onto the dance hall. The dwarf introduced himself to Kili as Sevrin, and Kili remembered he was a Lord from the Grey Mountains.

"Are you enjoying being home again, Prince Kili?" Sevrin asked him as they stepped together in time with the music.

"Home?" Kili questioned.

"Erebor, I mean."

"Erebor is not my home, Lord Sevrin. My brother and I were born after its fall to Smaug." Kili took a moment to admire the Lord's single plaited, blond beard. He determined it was finely done but nowhere near as magnificent as Fili's golden blonde mane.

"Ah," Sevrin smiled. "So you are younger than I previously assumed but still no less beautiful."

Kili took advantage of their current dancing position to duck his head into Sevrin's shoulder. For he was sure that his cheeks were flaming as red as hot iron straight out of the fire on his beardless face and he did not wish Sevrin to see. Fili's parting words filtered through his head then and Kili wondered how easy Sevrin thought him now that he was blushing like a dwarrow lass with her first crush.

"You are very kind." Kili replied when he was certain his traitorous cheeks had drained most of their color.

"Surely you have received many compliments before with a beautiful face such as yours." Sevrin insisted.

"No, most dwarves had eyes only for my brother, Fili, growing up because he is Thorin's heir and a fine warrior." As he spoke, Kili's eyes found his brother chatting with some people he did not know, but even too far away to hear their conversation, Kili could see that his brother commanded the group's attention.

The song drew to its end and Kili released Sevrin's hand and bowed his head to him. "It was a pleasure dancing with you, Lord Sevrin. I hope you enjoy the rest of the night." Kili repeated the words Fili had taught him a hour before the feast.

The Lord looked ready to say something else, but seemed to think better of it. "As do I, Prince Kili."

With that they parted ways and Kili accepted the next suitor waiting in line to dance with him. This proceeded many more times until Kili found his feet hurting and his thoughts wandering away from him during each dance. Twice he'd only just managed to save himself from embarrassment when he'd found his thoughts had left him with no clue as to what the courtier he was dancing with had said. Knowing that Thorin would never allow him to leave his suitors waiting, even for a breather, Kili proposed an alternative option.

He placed a hand on the arm of the newest courtier he'd been dancing with, an older dwarf named Runbar with a gray-streaked ginger beard. "Would you accompany me outside? I feel like I need some fresh air."

Lord Runbar smiled. "Of course, my prince."

Kili led the way through the halls of Erebor until they reached one of the battlements that looked out towards the River Running. The air was strong and crisp up on the mountain and already Kili was recovering from the heat and noise of the feast hall. He placed his hands against the parapet and stared off into the distance. Though it was dark, Kili thought he could make out the ruins of Dale as a dark smudge far off.

Fingers threaded themselves through his hair and Kili startled away despite what courtesy might demand him to do in such a situation. He spun around to address Lord Runbar who was much closer to him than a moment ago.

Kili opened his mouth ready to speak only to find he didn't know what he was supposed to say to the dwarf without outright insulting him.

"You're hair is striking in the moonlight, as glossy as the wings of the ravens that hang about Ravenhill."

"Thank you, my Lord." Kili replied. In the torchlight Kili could see the dwarf's face was still aglow from mead and he tried to ignore the sour smell that wafted across his face when the dwarf spoke. Kili had been complimented many times during the night, probably more than he had his whole life in Ered Luin, but the fever in this dwarf's voice unsettled him. Kili realized he had not paid much attention to his companion's physical state before now and quickly realized his mistake.

"Perhaps we should go back inside now, my Lord." Kili suggested.

"Such a beauty you are, my prince. I would like so very much to be your husband." Runbar stepped closer even as Kili tried to slide away from him and Kili found himself trapped between the parapet and Lord Runbar's bulk.

"My Lord—"

"I would bed you every night and spoil you with lavish gifts and feasts." Kili felt the dwarf's beard tickle his face as he pressed him back into the parapet. Kili turned his head away, disgusted. He tried to shove Runbar off of him, but the dwarf was as solid as stone.

"You would be mine and you would be happy." The words were panted hotly against Kili's ear accompanied by a mouth laving at his beardless neck and face.

"Stop!" Kili shouted, shoving one of his hands that had been pushing against the dwarf's shoulders, up, connecting with Lord Runbar's face and knocking it back from his neck. His hand was quickly seized and trapped against his chest.

"Do not hide your desire, my prince. Why else would you ask me to accompany you to such a private place if you did not wish to seek such pleasures. You are young and impatient, there is no shame in acting on your feelings."

"That is not what I meant!" Kili tried to explain, as Runbar attacked his mouth with his own. A hand was tugging at his hair, urging his face back, when suddenly the dwarf's bulk was yanked away from him.

Kili fell back against the parapet at the loss of support. His eyes quickly located Lord Runbar who seemed to be in a squabble with another dwarf. Kili caught sight of blond braided locks and sighed with relief. Fili... his brother had found the dwarf forcing himself on him and had come to rescue him.

"Leave before I have the guards called on you and do not dare approach your prince again."

Kili blinked. That was not Fili after all. The dwarf turned back towards Kili and in the torchlight, Kili could make out his face. "My Prince, are you alright?"

"Lord Sevrin." Kili replied.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you alright, my Prince?" Sevrin repeated placing a hand gently against his arm. Kili wiped at the saliva that lingered on his chin and neck. He gazed at the fluid, feeling disgust for it and its owner roll in his gut, before wiping his hand against his pant leg.

"Yes..I'm fine. Thank you for coming when you did. I'm afraid if you hadn't, Lord Runbar would have gotten what he was after."

"I don't know, you looked like you were handling the situation very well on your own."

Kili arched an eyebrow at the dwarf, some of his spirit returning to him now that the danger had passed. "And what, might I ask, were you doing out here anyway, Lord Sevrin? This is an awful far walk from the feast and as far as I know, not a spot to be easily stumbled upon."

Kili would know. Since settling into Erebor, Kili often found himself retreating to this spot when Thorin deemed it too risky to leave the halls of Erebor, for the land around the mountain had yet to be properly scouted. Kili could not stand this confinement though. He was not raised like his uncle in the halls of Erebor, but in Ered Luin where many of his days were spent exploring with Fili, hunting game in the forests, or practicing his archery on the training grounds. Kili wished so badly to retreat to the forest off in the distance, to get lost under the canopy of leaves and just feel the earth against his skin. Especially now, with Thorin decreeing his future union, Erebor felt like a prison Kili longed to escape from.

Sevrin rubbed at his bearded face, looking wary to answer Kili's question. Kili found this amusing, since a strong and young dwarf such as Lord Sevrin did not strike him as the type to be shy about any matter.

"I feel you will think ill of me if I tell you that, Prince Kili." Sevrin replied.

Kili smiled encouragingly and leaned back against the parapet, the strong wind whipping his dark hair away from the collar of his tunic. "I can swear to you that I won't seeing as you just rescued me from that brute...and please call me Kili, all of these pleasantries and titles make my head hurt."

"Then if it pleases you Kili, you may call me Sevrin." Sevrin inclined his head in greeting and Kili had to roll his eyes at that because even when the Lord was trying to act informal, he was still as charming as a noble.

"Tell me, what were you doing in this part of the palace?" Kili inquired.

Sevrin walked over to the rail and looked down at the expanse of land that surrounded the mountain, though Kili knew the dwarf could see little in this darkness. "I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I was following you, my Prin—Kili." Sevrin corrected at the last minute and Kili could see the smile that pulled at his profile.

"Following me?" Now both of Kili's eyebrows rose.

Sevrin rubbed at his beard, looking almost sheepish. "I saw you leaving the feast hall with Lord Runbar and I was hoping for another dance, or perhaps to speak with you some more."

Sevrin glanced up at him through thick eyebrows and caught his shocked expression. "I know... it was quite selfish of me."

_Quite selfish of him_, Kili thought over the dwarf's words. Selfish—as if time spent with Kili was something coveted and cherished. Never before had such words been applied to Kili, except maybe by Fili, and he couldn't help the flush that spread across his cheeks, a habit that seemed to be occurring quite a lot around the Lord from the Grey Mountains.

"No..."Kili's lips twitched up in a small smile. "No, it is fine, Sevrin. In fact, I find your company quite enjoyable. I would be glad to talk to you some more."

The withheld tension seemed to leave Sevrin's body in a rush. He sighed, "That is a relief then."

"Though perhaps not tonight. The feast has been going on for many hours and now after this incident with Lord Runbar, I truly feel like retiring for the night." Kili confessed with a tired sigh that he felt as if he'd been holding in for half the night.

"Might I walk you back to your chambers, then?" asked Sevrin.

Kili paused trying to think of the implication of agreeing to this. After a moment though, he could not really see the harm in it. After all, this was the second time he and Lord Sevrin were seen together and if anyone were to be matched up with him in the coming days, he would much rather it be Sevrin than another dwarf such as Lord Runbar. Kili shuddered at the thought.

"Yes," Kili agreed and started in the direction of his rooms.

* * *

><p>It was much later that Kili was awoken by someone shaking him awake. "Kili...Kee!" was hissed in his ear.<p>

"Fili?" Kili turned onto his back as his brother shuffled backwards on his knees to give him more room on his bed.

"What're you doing here, Fee? It's late."

"I came to ask how your night went, of course!" There were the sounds of fumbling and Kili felt the bed dip as his brother's weight shifted to one side, then the room was alight by the soft glow of candlelight. Fili placed the candle and it's holder on the table next to Kili's bed, before turning back to him, his expression eager.

"So?" he prompted.

Kili was tired and he wanted to go back to sleep badly, but he never could deny his older brother anything when he was giving him that look. With a sigh he shoved the blankets back and pushed his body up against the headboard until he could look his brother in the eye.

"It was not so bad of a night all in all. I had not expected most of the Lords to be so old though... Some of them were older than Uncle. One looked to be about Balin's age!"

Fili chuckled. "He was quite the spritely dancer I saw though. Are you sure you don't fancy him?"

Kili punched his brother in the shoulder, but couldn't contain his smile. "That's not funny, Fili."

"What of Lord Sevrin of the Grey Mountains? I've heard from Ori that you talked with him twice tonight. Do you fancy him brother?"

"So what if I talked to him twice? What does that have to do with anything?" Kili asked, though truthfully he was playing dumb. He had a very good idea of what it meant, but he did not want to make it seem like he was going along with this arrangement so easily.

"It means something to the other dwarves courting you. They will think you favor him more." Fili replied.

"He said that he felt selfish for wanting to spend more time with me. I was...flattered." Kili muttered.

"So you do fancy him!" Fili grinned.

"He reminds me of you." Kili admitted softly, glancing up at his brother through his bangs.

Fili seemed to peak up at that. "Let me guess," he said, lifting his head up more and looking, to Kili, like a royal idiot. "Charming, clever, exceptionally handsome—"

"Pompous," Kili supplied with a smirk at his brother. He soon found himself being tackled to the mattress. Fili wrestled him into a headlock and proceeded to ruffle his hair into a disheveled mess. All Kili could do was bat uselessly at his brother's hand.

"Surrender to the magnificence that is your brother!" Fili cried as he continued his assault Kili's hair.

"Never!" Kili wheezed through his laughter and twisted with renewed strength to free himself from Fili's hold. Kili jerked to the side and the brothers found themselves crashing to the hard stone floor, the blankets, that had been on top of Kili's body, following them in their wake.

"Oww," Fili moaned, releasing Kili from his headlock in favor of rubbing his shoulder that had slammed into the floor. Kili rolled off of his brother's chest until he was staring up at the ceiling. He turned his head to look at Fili, golden mane of hair splayed about his head, blankets still tangling both of their feet together, and succumbed to giggles.

Fili shoved him in the shoulder, be he was laughing as well.

"You're an idiot, brother." he informed him.

"Agreed," Kili grinned. "but I'm your idiot."


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Probably only one more chapter of happiness nonsense before this start to take a turn...If you desire a fluffy fic where Kili finds his true love then this will be the chapter to stop after. (evil smirk)**

* * *

><p>It was a week after everyone had arrived at Erebor and the grand welcoming feasts— with their royal attire and endless merrymaking— had subdued to the kind Kili and Fili were used to attending in Thorin's halls back in Ered Luin. It was yet another day in which Fili was spirited off for his lessons or sitting in on discussions between Dain and Thorin. This was nothing that Kili was especially unused to and on any other day, Kili would spend his days wandering the many halls of the mountain kingdom, looking for hidden passages and exploring some of the still untouched chambers. This week, however, Dwalin and a group of the king's guard had been organized to scout out of the land around the mountain. Finally, after the battle that had brought orcs and wargs flooding into their lands, Uncle had declared it was time to scout the area and drive away any that might have stayed behind. And today, Kili was positively buzzing with energy because if Dwalin deemed it safe, then he could finally go hunting in the forest land...with an escort of course, which would probably end of being the gruff warrior himself. Still, just the thought of finally being able to leave the mountain recesses was something to look forward to.<p>

He'd spent most of the time waiting for Dwalin and the others to return in his chambers, inspecting his gear. He'd laid his quiver and arrows out across the table and started to repair the leather on his bandolier, whose stitching had begun to pull apart after such a long journey. He was short on his supply of arrows and though there was always someone in Erebor who was willing to replenish his stock, Kili missed making them himself. The intensive process of stripping, shaping, and fetching the arrow shafts was probably one of the only tasks that he could focus on for long amounts of time. The smooth, simple, repetition of his knife sliding along wood was relaxing in the way that it allowed his mind to wander while his hands worked. It was nothing like the aggressive force that Fili and Thorin used when they were hammering iron into weapons.

"Kili."

He bolted to his feet, the hunting knife he'd been sharpening against his whetstone, clattering to the tabletop and he only managed to stop it from spinning off the table by smacking his hand down on top of it. Grimacing at his own clumsiness, he looked at the dwarf who stood in his doorway.

Dwalin raised one bushy eyebrow at him and uttered a gruff noise that could be considered laughter by someone who knew him well enough.

"I was going to offer to take you hunting, but if you are going to jerk about like a skittish mare than perhaps not. I fear it will be a waste of a day."

"No, please, I promise I'm fine," Kili plead. The old warrior simply stared at him. "Please, Mister Dwalin. I desperately need to be somewhere other than these halls."

The older dwarf considered his words for a long moment and then seemed to come to an answer.

"I suppose it would be good to exercise those sharp eyes of yours. Pack your things and meet me in the stables. I will have your pony saddled and ready."

"Will Fili be coming with us?"

"Perhaps. He promised that if your Uncle's meeting finished soon he would try to join us with Bofur."

"Alright, I'll see you down there."

Kili was quick to pull on his heavy, leather coat and boots. He scooped the arrows back into his quiver and strapped it, along with his other weapons and gear, onto his person. He rushed down the many halls until he reached the kitchen and was quick to grab some bread, cheese, and several dried strips of beef, tying them up in cloth for him and Mister Dwalin. He slipped the bundle into his pack and made his way to the stables where Dwalin had his pony, Tilly, waiting for him. He'd named his new brown mare after Bard's charming, little girl, Tilda. "You ready to go lad?" Dwalin asked, his own pony bridled and standing at his side.

"Yes, Mister Dwalin."

They mounted their ponies and made their way out of the stables and down the bottom of the mountain until they were at the grassy plains that surrounded the base of the mountain. Kili rode beside Dwalin at the older dwarf's steady pace. He looked behind them as they rode, watching Erebor and his new responsibility sink further and further behind them with every hoof print. He wondered, sadly, how Fili managed to make the weight of a kingdom look so easy to carry. He faced back forward in his saddle and caught a glimpse of the tree line peeking out from behind a valley wall. His excitement soared at the sight and he couldn't restrain himself from kicking his pony into a gallop, taking off in a spray of uprooted grass and dirt.

"Aye—Kili lad! Slow down!" He heard Dwalin shout after him.

Kili hunched himself forward in his saddle and felt his pony's body tremble and strain with unleashed energy. Air gusted against Kili's form as his mare ran, ripping sections of his hair out of his clasp to flutter in front of his eyes, his leather jacket flapping and crackling about him like linens strung up on a line during a storm. He released a wild call that seemed to flow ahead of him across the clumpy grassland. The darkness of the forest was almost upon him now, only a couple of miles off, and Kili was willing to welcome it's cool darkness.

Another pair of hoof beats reached Kili's ears, and he turned, hair in his face, to see Dwalin coming up next to him. The head of his uncle's guard was shouting something angrily at him, but Dwalin's words were stolen from him by the air rushing against Kili's ears. With a burst of speed from his pony, Dwalin reached across and snatched Kili's reins from him, tugging until both mares slowed to a stop. He turned them in a circle, the mares' snorting heavily and stomping until they calmed.

Kili laughed gleefully despite Dwalin's angry glower. "Aww, Dwalin. You're no fun. We were almost there."

"Has a month in Erebor rotted your brains entirely, lad? What is Durin's name is wrong with you galloping off like that by yourself?" he growled at him, still firmly clutching his ponies reins along with his own.

"You told me the land was safe. I did not see the harm in having a bit of fun." Kili confessed.

"Yes, I did say it was safe. This morning. I assumed I had trained you and Fili out of this childless nonsense. What if some creature did find its way here after our troop had gone though? Would you have me answering to King Thorin and paying the price for your recklessness?"

Guilt crept up the back of Kili's neck like a cold chill. "I apologize Mister Dwalin. I was not thinking."

Dwalin grunted and handed him back the reins. "You're forgiven, lad. But for the rest of our outing you will behave like a proper Prince of Durin or I will be having a talk with your uncle and I doubt he will let you out hunting for a while afterwards. Do I make myself clear, Kili?"

"Yes, Mister Dwalin." said Kili.

"Good. Let's continue on."

They lead the ponies into the forest until they were hidden among the trees and dismounted, tying the reins around a tree and leaving them to graze. Kili pulled his bow off of his back and held it at his side as the pair picked their way through the undergrowth. The forest had a calming effect on Kili, silencing his mind as he focused on the environment around him. He couldn't help but trail a leaf through two of his fingers, collecting the droplets of water that had pooled there from the rainfall the night prior.

Kili took the lead, Dwalin falling respectfully behind him, watching as Kili scanned the ground looking for tracks. Kili could sense the older warrior waiting patiently as he brushed aside wet leaves and pressed slender fingers into a small set of tracks; a hare's, if he had to venture a guess. He moved forward in a hunched crawl, his knuckles sinking into the still damp dirt and coming up dirty, but he didn't care because as he peeked around a fallen branch, he spotted it. The hare sat in a small clearing surrounded by saplings, it's nose pushing through the wet leaves to forage for anything worthwhile on the forest floor. Kili raise his bow and reached slowly behind him to retrieve an arrow from his quiver. Kili pulled the arrow up slowly, stilling only once as the hare's long ears perked to the quiet drag of wood against leather. When he was certain that the hare did not suspect anything, Kili notched the arrow and took aim. There was a low _thrum _as Kili released the bow string, the whistle of his arrow through air and brush, and then the hare was lying on its side with an arrow in one eye.

"Well done, lad." Dwalin praised from behind him, and Kili flinched, having forgotten the dwarf was still behind him. Kili picked up the hare, pulled the arrow out to return it to his quiver, and placed the hare into the bag at his side. They continued on like that for another hour or so, but the most Kili caught was another two hares and a quail. All the big game seemed to be hiding from them at the moment.

"Sorry, this wasn't as eventful as you hoped, lad. Why don't we go check on the ponies, take a break, and see if anything shows up later." Dwalin suggested.

Kili agreed, feeling his stomach grumble from hunger. They split the portions of bread and dried beef between them, saving the cheese for later. When he'd finished his meager lunch, Kili rooted around the saplings and smaller trees, gathering shoots that he started shaping into arrows. It was while Kili was stripping of the bark from his pile of small branches that he heard the beating of horse hooves.

"Ah, there they be." Dwalin said. He stood and went to meet the two riders. It wasn't until they were close that Kili made out the faces of Fili and Bofur. Dwalin held Fili's horse still as he dismounted.

"You made it." Kili dropped what he was holding in favor of embracing his brother. "I had thought you'd miss us entirely."

Fili smiled at him and ruffled his hair playfully. "Aye, I had thought so myself. Who knew Lord Dain was such a talker. How was the hunting, brother?"

Kili pulled open his bag to show Fili what they had caught. "It could have been better. I would have loved to take down a deer. It might remind Uncle to let me hunt more often, instead of forcing me to go on walks with these nobles every day. Mahal, I have never despised walks so much in my life."

Fili laughed. "Aye, that it might. Though, I doubt you can avoid the lords forever. Speaking of which..."

Fili went to retrieve something from his saddle bag and returned with a polished wooden box. "Lord Sevrin asked me to give this to you if I saw you. I believe it is his courting gift."

Kili, who had been reaching eagerly towards the box, retracted his hand as it burned.

"Courting gift?" he repeated, making a pinched face.

His _dear_ brother laughed merrily at his expense. He pushed the box into his hands. "Well go on, Kili. It's not like it's poisoned or anything. It has already been inspected for that."

That did nothing to ease his worries, it may have in fact increased them. Kili looked towards Dwalin, suddenly embarrassed at having the older dwarf in the area, but if Dwalin had heard what the brothers were talking about, then he was wisely giving them privacy while talking to Bofur. Timidly, Kili opened the lid of the box, and gasped at what lay inside. Laid out in velvet were six steel, broad head arrows, each with a rune word carved into them for Strength, Honor, Death, Protect, Love, and Brother. Kili fingered the sharp point of one, admiring the skill with which they were crafted. There was a scroll above the set that Kili lifted before he pressed the box into his brother's hands.

"Mahal, Fili just look at this craftsmanship!"

Fili looked inside the box and his blonde eyebrows rose towards his hairline. He lifted one of the arrowheads out of its lining and inspected it in the afternoon sunlight. "They're are exquisite, perfectly balanced too. But could he not spare the expense to make you arrow shafts as well?"

Kili quickly unrolled the parchment to read its contents. He smiled as he read over the words. "He says he did not know the proper length and thought that it would be better to let me craft them myself."

Fili snorted. "I'm surprised he did not just ask one of the attendants at the field. He's stood there watching you shoot for enough days."

"He's been watching me?" Kili asked blushing, then his brain seemed to catch up with his brother's words. "Fili! Have you been following him?"

Fili stooped to retrieve Kili's knife that he had abandoned only a little while ago and placed it on a log. "Not me of course. Uncle has kept me far too busy for that, but I did ask some of the company to keep an eye on him in my absence. They were only too happy to comply."

Kili sputtered, heat creeping up to his face. "Why?"

He stared at Bofur and Dwalin, wondering if they were in on this as well. Bofur caught Kili's eye and tipped his hat to him with a playful wink that only confirmed Kili's fears. He fumed, arms crossing over his chest in a no-nonsense manner as he turned back to Fili.

Fili, for his part, was all soft eyes and composed smile. "Kili, you are my little brother. I have to make sure the people you spend time with are as honorable as they seem."

Kili rolled his eyes at his brother's protectiveness, but then his eyes fell back onto the box. "Fili?"

"Hmm?" Fili hummed. He was busy picking at the leftover cheese from Kili's satchel.

"What happens after you accept a dwarf's courting gift?"

Fili stopped chewing, his eyes flashing up to Kili's face. The grin that spread over Fili's face must have been of the contagious sort, for Kili found himself grinning gleefully as well. "Are you sure, Kee?" he asked.

Kili nodded jerkily. "As sure as I'll ever be, I guess."

Fili gripped his shoulder and squeezed affectionately. "Then it is time to tell Uncle."


	4. Chapter 4

Kili stood to the side of Thorin, staring out into the mass of dwarf men and dwarf lasses seated at the long tables in the Great Hall of Thrór, all of whom were waiting patiently for what his Uncle had to announce, their curious eyes roving over him. The moment they returned from their hunting trip that afternoon, Fili had dragged him to their uncle's chambers. Kili managed to tell Thorin his news in a breathless rush as his nerves got the better of him when put on the spot.

"Pardon?" Thorin asked.

Kili made to repeat himself, when the sudden realization of what he'd actually just said crossed his mind. He'd just accepted the hand of a dwarf Lord. The thought of marrying a noble Lord had seemed like an exciting new adventure only a moment ago, but suddenly it felt like a foolish quest, one that he would admit to being woefully unprepared for. And now fear would not let the words pass his lips for the life of him.

Fili rolled his eyes skyward. "Uncle, what Kili was trying to say is that he would like to accept the hand of Lord Sevrin of the Grey Mountains. We come to ask for your blessing of this union as King under the Mountain."

"I see," Thorin said, and Kili could feel his eyes appraising each of them thoughtfully. "Fili, do you think this dwarf is a suitable match for your brother?"

Fili cleared his throat, clearly not expecting their uncle to ask for his input. "I have not had the pleasure of speaking to him personally, but I have heard only good things about him. Unless evidence emerges otherwise, I trust Kili's judgment. He has my blessing."

Kili was taken off guard by the tender kiss Fili placed to his temple. "May Aulë bless you're union, little brother."

Thorin smile and rose from his chair to embrace Kili in a tight hug. "All I want is your happiness, Kili. If you are certain, then I give you my blessing."

He let Kili step back, only to touch their foreheads together briefly, his hand stroking against the small hairs at the back of Kili's neck. "I will announce it tonight at the feast so that all of Erebor will toast your prosperity."

Gazing out into the crowded room now...Kili had the sudden urge to change his mind. He wanted to tug on his Uncle's tunic like a dwarfling might, whisper his words in Thorin's ear, and flee the room. Oh, Mahal, how he wished to flee! But he was a Prince of Durin and a Prince never flees from his duties.

"Tonight is a most spectacular night for the line of Durin," Thorin began in his booming voice. "As many of you know, it is not just Erebor itself that needs to be rebuilt, but our relations as a strong dwarrow race. For, far and wide have we wandered because of beasts like Smaug and Azog the Defiler, but now our enemies have been defeated and it is time for us to unite again as dwarves. "

Kili found Sevrin's face at one of the tables and tried to return the smile he sent his way, but under the circumstances he feared it was shaky at best.

"That is why, it is with great joy that I announce that my youngest sister-son, Kili, has made his choice in suitors. I hope that this union will bring prosperity and strength to our dwarven nation."

There was a flood of murmurs and exchanged glances. Many dwarves were leaning around each other on the long benches to get a better look their way. Kili felt his face flood with heat and his gaze dropped to his plate. He twisted his fingers into the fabric of his breeches as he waited for Thorin's next words, but was startled when rough fingers pried his away from his pants and crooked two fingers in between his own. He looked to his side to see Fili staring up at him from his seated position next to him. He squeezed his fingers once, as if passing off some of his courage. "Head up, little brother," he murmured up to him. "Give your betrothed the honor of looking you in the eyes when Thorin calls his name."

With a shuttering breath, Kili raised his gaze again as Thorin called out, "I ask that Lord Sevrin of the Grey Mountains stand up."

Sevrin stepped over the other side of the bench, so that he was standing in the middle of the hall. "I am here, my king."

"Lord Sevrin, let it be known as a great honor to you, your family, and all dwarves of the Grey Mountains that Prince Kili of Erebor has chosen to take your hand in marriage. I wish to welcome you to our family."

Sevrin inclined his head to Thorin. "Thank you, my king. The honor you bestow on me is great indeed. I hope to serve you well."

Kili followed Thorin's lead and sat back down in his seat. Oddly, as if nothing different had occurred, the guests resumed feasting and the music began again. Kili turned to his brother.

"I had thought something more would happen." he confessed. Fili just smiled at him.

"Oh there will be, Kili. Many preparations have to be made. A week from now you will be regretting speaking such words."

"Well...then it might be best to ask for your help now, wouldn't it?" Kili let loose his sweetest smile on Fili, something he'd only used in reserve throughout his whole childhood, knowing that his older brother would be hopeless to resist him.

"What are you planning Kili? Not another prank, I hope. Even I have to admit we are getting a little too old to be playing pranks on the company." Fili sighed, gazing far off like he was saying goodbye to all of the pranks he'd been waiting to use in the future. Kili, himself, thought that was a waste and would have to show Fili all the fun he would be missing out on by trying to take the mature route... but that was for a later time. One thing at a time.

"Not pranks," Kili leaned in closer so that none of the other dwarves at the table would overhear their conversation, because he wanted to keep this a surprise and no one was better at spilling the beans than one of the company. "I want to make Sevrin a marriage bead, but...you know that I'm not very good at metal work. I want Sevrin to have something from me for our wedding day..."

Fili fingered one of his own mustache beads between his fingers, looking almost proud. "And you'd like me to make you one for him?"

Kili lips twitched into a small smile. "If you wouldn't mind...I know you're busy with your lessons and everything else but...Would you?"

Fili stopped playing with one of his beads and placed that hand on top of Kili's. He smiled fondly at him. "No."

Kili had been so sure that Fili would agree— had not doubted it for a second, that it took him a long minute to realized exactly what Fili had said. And when he did, his mouth opened in shock.

"No?" He choked out. "What do you mean no?"

"You're asking me to make a marriage bead for a dwarf that I am not marrying. I will not do it." Fili stated simply. "Marriage beads are supposed to be crafted by a dwarf and gifted to that dwarf's betrothed. You must make this bead, Kili."

"But I'm horrible at metal works, Fili! You remember how long it took me to make your hair clasp, don't you? I spent a whole month working on that, but I don't have that much time now. How can you be so selfish? It's for my marriage!"

Kili tried to keep his words hushed, but the anger in his voice was evident and some of the dwarves sitting nearest them glanced their way curiously.

Fili chuckled at him. "I said that I wouldn't make the bead _for you_, Kili. I did not say that I wouldn't help you. We'll make it together and I'm sure Thorin will see it as a good learning experience for you. I've no doubt that he will give me time off from some of my duties to instruct you."

"Oh," Suddenly, Kili felt terribly stupid for jumping to such heated words. After all...this was Fili, and Fili was not heartless or selfish, in fact he was exactly the opposite. Qualities that Kili had admired in his brother for much of their childhood years. Fili was the dwarf—the King—that Kili aspired to be.

"Forgive me, Fili. I didn't mean to imply—"

"Forget it, Kee. I know you didn't mean it." Fili smiled at him and continued on, "Now, I hope you had a design in mind..."

And just like that, they were off to work on their secret project. It reminded Kili of their childhood exploits, back when they slept in the same bed. Staying up late into the night, when they would hide under the wool blankets and whisper their plans for the next day's new adventures so that their mother and Uncle Thorin could not hear them from the front room. The next day, Kili met Fili in his chambers, his parchment of potential designs wrapped tightly in one hand. Together, they'd looked over Kili's sketches, Kili pointing out the ones he liked best and Fili yaying or naying them based on their crafting difficulty.

When they had decided on one design, Fili reserved one of the room dedicated to the metal smith apprentices so that they could craft out of the way of prying eyes. Thorin had two guards stationed outside of the door to ward off unwanted company, like any dwarrows that might have been angry at Kili's pick in a husband, which Kili had laughed at once he'd seen the forging room with its vast array of crafting rods and instruments. It was practically an armory when put in Fili's hands. Back in their forge in Ered Luin, Kili had once witnessed his brother fend off a pair of thieves with nothing but a hearth poker, swing it at their heads like a sword. He had no doubt that he and his brother would be safe in here.

Just as Kili remembered it to be, metal working was hard work. It took quick hands, delicate care, and no small amount of concentration, all of which was hard to maintain in the sweltering room. Kili, for once, had allowed his hair to be tied back from his face, but still the sweat poured down his forehead and into his eyes as he worked. Fili was a constant presence over his shoulder the whole time he worked, instructing him in the proper way to work the metal, and— when he thought Kili's skill was especially lacking—Fili would step up behind him and take his hands in his larger ones. Kili would happily allow his brother to manipulate his motions, taking the time to watch, amazed, as Fili molded the lump into something more resembling their goal.

As it turned out... the hardest part of it all, harder than even the crafting which Kili would willing admit to being horrid at, was avoiding Sevrin. As it was to be expected after the announcement of their engagement, the Lord had gone out of his way to spend his time with Kili. Kili had told quite a few lies in order to continue his crafting sessions with Fili. Eventually they had to tell the other members of their company of their surprise gift in order to gain their assistance. After that their friends had started distracting the Lord at dinner so that the two brothers could slip away unnoticed, only to return to their separate chambers hours later. Kili did not like the idea of avoiding his husband to be, but it felt worth it when Fili dropped the finished product into Kili's palm five days later. A long silver bead with an interlocking design etched into it. The bead gleamed in the light from the forge and at once Kili knew it would look wonderful in Sevrin's blond hair.

"Mahal, Fili. It's beautiful. Thank you!" Kili exclaimed.

"It was nothing." Fili gave him a sideways grin. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go find that Lord of yours and give it to him."

Kili grinned at his brother in uncontrollable excitement, before dashing off to find Sevrin. When he did find him looking like he'd just come from the direction of Kili's own chambers, the moment was not like he expected it to be. He hadn't expected Sevrin to look quite so Thorin-like, with that line of indifference and anger that his Uncle always straddled whenever he was displeased with someone's actions. It was usually accompanied by a few stern swats to Kili and Fili's backsides, so seeing that expression mirrored on Sevrin's face made his stomach turn uneasily. He tried for a smile anyway, hoping that his gift would wipe the dark look from the other dwarf's face.

"Sevrin, I'm glad I caught you." he said.

Sevrin eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you, My Prince? You don't seem to have much time for me these days...which is a funny way to act after accepting my hand in marriage."

A group of dwarrow ladies and their attendants passed by, all of them curtsying and acknowledging Kili, one after another. Kili greeted the ladies before taking Sevrin by the arm and leading him to a more private hall where they would not be heard or disturbed.

"I am sorry that I couldn't meet with you much this week. I really did want to spend more time with you, I've just been very busy."

"What have you been busy with?" Sevrin asked. "You never did tell me when I asked at dinner the other night."

"Wedding preparations." Kili smiled to himself, feeling the silver bead wrapped in cloth in his fist. "It is only a few days away."

Sevrin laughed, but it seemed a little too zealous given the topic of conversation. "The crown prince has to help you with preparations for a wedding. Every night?"

Kili's smile wavered a little. "Fili just wants to help. He realizes that I'll be traveling to your kingdom shortly after our wedding, and would like to spend as much time together as we have left."

Sevrin nodded. "You and your brother are very close. I don't have any siblings, so I cannot say that I understand how the both of you must be feeling."

"Thank you for being so understanding."

"Yes," Sevrin replied, "And maybe you can help me with this Kili—so that I can understand better—but why do the royal princes need a private forging room to prepare for a wedding? It seemed rather odd doesn't it?"

_Well_, thought Kili, _word must have gotten out about what he was making._ It seemed there wasn't a better time than this. "You're right, Sevrin. I have not been fully honest with you. Fili has been helping me craft a wedding present for you these past few days."

He offered the wrapped present to him. Sevrin unfolded the cloth in Kili's open palm and gazed at it. "A marriage bead."

Kili held his breath in anticipation for as long as he could. "Do you like it?" he asked finally. "Fili helped and it only took four days—"

Sevrin grasped Kili's wrist tightly, Kili barely able to close the bead in his hand before it went flying. The older dwarf leaned in close, his expression stormy. "Do you think you can run around like this, days before our wedding, and come back with a bead and some stupid tale about wedding planning and expect me to accept this? Do you find me incredibly dim-witted?"

Kili's breath stuttered out of him as his back met the stone wall. "What are you talking about?"

"Honestly, do you think people do not talk? They said that the sister-sons of Thorin Oakenshield were tight knit. Some said you were closer than two brothers ever should be. I didn't want to believe it at first, but now how can I avoid such talk when you are lying to my face!"

_Closer than two brothers should ever be..._"No," Kili said, trying to figure out how such accusations were being hurled at him. "Fili and I would never—"

"It is disgusting! Do you have no honor in your family name, to continue such incestuous acts before a wedding that is supposed to reunite your kingdom!" Sevrin spat.

Kili felt tears flooding his eyes at the shame of such words being spoken about his family. Kili had always been teased as a child, but no one in Ered Luin had ever said such bold words to him until today. "It not true...I-I promise—"

"I ought to call off the wedding—"

"No!" Kili clutched at Sevrin's tunic. The thought of this lie ruining the reunion of the kingdoms would truly classify him as a failure in Thorin's eyes.

"I swear it isn't true! Fili and I were in the forge, and he was just helping me make you a marriage bead, because I'm terrible at metal work. Thorin and Balin always said I was terrible at metal work because I was a ridiculous dwarf too preoccupied in my bow and arrows to learn the craft of my people. I wanted it to be a surprise so that you could wear it on our wedding day—"

Kili found himself being crushed into a tight hug. Sevrin held him close and shushed him, until his blubbering finally stopped.

"—It's not true." Kili hiccuped at last.

"Shhh..."Sevrin whispered against Kili's hair. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry for believing such offensive things about you. You've proved to me that they cannot be true. Our wedding remains on."

He unwrapped Kili from his arms and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Here," he said. Carefully, he took the bead from Kili's fingers and braided it into a section of his hair. Like Kili had thought, it gleamed brightly in his hair, but it did not bring Kili the happiness that he'd originally thought it would.

Sevrin kissed Kili on the forehead. "I'll see you at dinner."

And then he departed, leaving Kili slumped against the wall, not sure of what had just happened.


	5. Chapter 5

Kili did not speak to anyone about what had occurred between Sevrin and himself. At first, he had thought of asking Fili about it, or maybe even Balin, the old dwarf was wise about many things and there was the chance that he would better understand Lord Sevrin's angry response, but in the end he had reasoned against it. Much like taboo, Kili thought that the mere mention of it would destroy his marriage prospects. There was also the aspect of having to tell someone the rumors going around about him and Fili and he did not want to feed the lies anymore.

So he remained silent about it, and warily sat next to Sevrin at dinner that night, but the older dwarf seemed to show no outward signs of anger. In fact, if Kili had not been there himself, he would not have thought any such argument had happened. So, by the end of the night, Kili's fears were little more than a worrying nudging at the back of his mind as Sevrin walked him back to his chambers. The older dwarf seemed to feel more comfortable around him now, growing more so as the days went on, and so it should not have come as much of a surprise to him when he leaned in and stole a kiss from him. Sevrin's lips were firm and warm against his own, a feeling that Kili thought he would have enjoyed. Except the fear from that afternoon nudged into his thoughts again and Kili pulled away quite suddenly, pressing himself back into his door.

"I sorry—" he said quickly, realizing quite suddenly afterwards that he just rejected a kiss from the dwarf he was supposed to be marrying in three days time. He could only guess what Sevrin thought of him now.

"No," Sevrin smiled. "Please, Kili, it is my fault. I should have asked you first. I overstepped my bounds."

"You just surprised me. That's all, really." Kili absently pressed his fingers against his lips where the phantom touch of Sevrin's lips still remained.

"You just looked so beautiful tonight and I wanted to reassure you of my feelings for you after the doubts put there this week. I will remember to ask for your permission next time." he said, though his face still carried the traces of rejection. "Good night to you, Prince Kili."

He turned to leave and something like guilt jumped into Kili's throat. He had not meant to make the dwarf feel low, for Mahal's sake, this was the man he was suppose to be marrying and Kili could not even manage a kiss. Especially after the distress he had caused him about that rumor...for a whole week Sevrin was wondering if Kili was cheating on him _with his brother_. The least he could do is let him kiss him.

"You should not have to!" Kili blurted out, his hand reaching out of catch the other dwarf's sleeve. Sevrin turned back around to face him, a confused look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry?" he asked. Kili realized at once that he was still gripping his sleeve and retracted his arm against his chest, the fingers of that hand worrying his bottom lip.

"We are to marry in a few days...you should not have to ask permission to kiss me goodnight. For something so innocent, I acted stupidly."

Sevrin smiled and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "I see...so if I were to ask to kiss you now, would you allow it?"

Kili huffed. "I said you did not have to ask me..."

"If I were to kiss you—"Sevrin amended.

"—I would allow it." Kili finished. A feeling of butterflies in his stomach swelled within him as the Lord leaned forward, and for the life of him, Kili couldn't tell if it was from nervousness or anticipation. Sevrin's warm lips pressed against his again, this time gentler, as if to make sure that Kili would not go running again. Kili parted his lips slightly and leaned forward. One of Sevrin's hands came up to cup Kili's neck and cheek, tilting his head back to deepen the kiss as their lips moved together. It was only when Kili felt the brush of a tongue that he pulled away, realizing all to quickly that what was meant to be an innocent kiss goodnight was turning rapidly turning into nothing of the sort.

Sevrin smiled easily at him, seeming pleased with himself if Kili didn't think so himself. "Good night to you, Prince Kili. Sleep well."

"Yes...thank you." Kili stared at the dwarf's back as he walked back down the hall. The kiss was not what he had expected, it was nothing unpleasant, not at all actually, but something still felt off about it. Kili had always thought himself confident in his flirting, but around Sevrin he felt as if he were constantly apologizing for the things he messed up on. Maybe that was it, Kili pondered, that lack of confidence that was so unlike him. Perhaps it was just kissing a stranger...

Kili sighed, his mind was tired of thinking of reasons for how he was feeling. Today was an odd day, where nothing seemed to go as he expected it too. He figured the best thing to do would be to sleep and see how he felt tomorrow morning. And so, he did just that, shedding his tunic and breeches on the floor by his bed and tucking himself under the covers. He wrapped his body up in the thick blankets and closed his eyes, willing the cold mountain air and his bothersome thoughts away for the night.

The next morning started off slow. An hour was spent trying on his wedding clothes to check the fit and waiting patiently as the garments were pinned and taken in a bit by the tailor. The next part of his morning was spent with Balin reciting his marriage vows in Khuzdul, and Balin for his part was going to drill those words into Kili's brain if it was the last thing he ever did on this good green earth. So Kili, for his part, repeated, and repeated, and _repeated _until he feared he would hear the words in his sleep, which may have been what Balin wanted after all. It was a relief when Dwalin called him away, stating to an exasperated Balin, simply that the Prince's presence was needed elsewhere.

Elsewhere, as it turned out, seemed to be the stables where Fili was waiting with three ponies saddles and picking at the straw scattered about the floor.

"Are we going hunting again, Mr. Dwalin? My arrows will not be ready to use for a day or so still." Kili address the tattooed dwarf behind him.

"Not hunting," Fili assured him. "Dwalin and I are supposed to meet with King Bard. He is to give us a tour of Dale to show us how the restoration is coming so that we can better assist them in supplies for building. I managed to persuade Dwalin to get you out of your lessons so that you could come along. He was surprisingly quite easy to sway." Fili smiled smugly at Kili as he offered him the reins of his pony.

Dwalin grunted something that sounded suspiciously like _brat _in Khuzdul. "Do not get used to it, Princeling. I am only allowing it because you boys have not had much time to spend together since we reclaimed the mountain and Kili will be leaving us in a few days time..."

Dwalin sniffed and coughed into his fist, his eyes cast aside.

"Aww Dwalin!" Kili cried, a bright smile gracing his face. "You're turning soft on us! Fili can you believe this?"

Fili was laughing now. "So, the mighty warrior Mr. Dwalin really does have a soft side. Who knew?"

"Are you going to miss me, Dwalin? No doubt you will be crying on my wedding day too at this rate." Kili teased.

"I am not going soft." Dwalin grumbled, trying his best to sound like his usual gruff self, which was hard when he wouldn't meet either of the brother's eyes.

"Of course I am sad to see you go, lad. I've known you both since you were beardlings and stood as high as my knee." He sniffled and wiped at his eyes hastily. "Enough of this silly talk. Mount your ponies and let us go, before we are late."

Dwalin took his reins from Fili and hoisted himself up onto his pony. Fili and Kili exchanged fond smiles before following in the older dwarf's lead. Kili nudged Tilly into motion and took off after Fili's pony. The three of them descended down the rocky side of the mountain's base until they reached level ground, after that they made their way around the mountain side until they reached the wide, snow covered, path that extended from Erebor to Dale. From there it was a straight shot to Dale, a journey that only took around half an hour with the ponies at a brisk trot. The day was cold, however, and it started to snow lightly as they made their way towards their destination. Kili pulled his cloak tighter around himself to keep away the chill. He'd be more than happy once they reached Dale and were welcomed into King Bard's hall to warm themselves by the fire.

The men posted on the wall called out to them once they reached the city border. "Halt! Who wishes to enter the city of Dale."

Dwalin nudged his pony forward until he had come around in front of the two brothers.

"Crown Prince Fili and Prince Kili of Erebor, and their escort," Dwalin called up. "We are expected by your King."

One of the guards turned his back to them and seemed to signal down below the wall on which they stood. He turned back to the group of three. "Enter."

The doors were pulled open and Fili, Kili, and Dwalin made their way under the stone archway and into the slanted stone streets of Dale. They followed one guard through the maze of streets, past vendors and townspeople, until they stood in the city center where the main hall was situated. Men came and took the reins of Fili and Kili's ponies, holding them still as the Princes dismounted. Bard came strolling out of the hall, followed closely by his three children. There was a burst of excited laughter as Tilda, Bard's youngest daughter, came rushing forward before Bard could catch her arm. She barreled into Fili's waist, thin arms wrapping tightly around him. Fili smiled down at the little child latched onto him and patted her on the head.

"You are back!" She cried, before letting go of Fili to give Kili and equally warm welcome.

From the steps, Bard groaned. "Tilda, sweetheart. You cannot act in such a way. This is Prince Fili and Kili of Erebor."

"I know who they are!" Tilda retorted, the point Bard was trying to make seemingly going over the young girl's head. Dwalin moved as if to shoo her away.

Fili chuckled. "It is more than alright King Bard. Dwalin." Fili's gaze flickered to the tattooed warrior who reluctantly stepped back again. "Tilda knew us when were Princes in name alone. We see no need for her to treat us any differently."

"Yes, " Kili agreed, crouching down slightly so that he was at Tilda's eye level. "Did you know that I named my new pony after you?" he asked her.

"You did?" she asked cheerfully staring up at the brown and white pony.

"I did." Kili smiled. "If it is alright with your father, you can ride her back to stables."

Tilda grinned, spinning around. "Can I, Da?"

Bard's tired expression eased a bit as he rubbed at his temple. "Please do," he sighed.

Kili gripped the girl around her waist and hoisted her up onto his pony. Her legs were still too short to reach the stirrups, for Kili was an especially tall dwarf, so instead he instructed her to hold onto the saddle horn.

"Careful, now." he called as he handed the reins off to an attendant and watched her be lead away with the two other ponies towards the stables. With that they moved into the hall to warm up and eat a quick meal.

"Thank you, Prince Kili." Bard said as they sat at a wooden table together, drinking ale. "Tilda has been a handful all day, waiting for your arrival. I do apologize, however, I did not realize that both Princes would be coming today. What with your wedding day so close by."

Fili smiled. "My brother found some spare time and wished to join us."

"Ah, I see. Shall we start walking?" he asked them.

"Let's," Fili said standing.

They left the hall the way they had come in and took to the streets. Kili was surprised to see how far the men-folk had come since the destruction of Laketown. Where before there was crumbed, scorched buildings where at night you could see the blazing fires used to heat them from Erebor, now a good amount of the structures had been rebuilt with new stones. Even some of the wooden balconies with their carved details were restored on some of the richer houses. They walked all the way to the main market, full of vending stalls. There men and women sold fabric, tools, and other wares.

Bard pointed towards a section in the market that had been left empty. "We even reserved a spot for the toymakers of your company, since they expressed an interest in starting up their business again."

Kili smiled. "I'm sure they would gladly sell their crafts here. We'll make sure to tell them the news when we return to the mountain."

"Please do." said Bard. "I've no doubt the children here will love it."

Kili admitted to tuning out the rest of the conversation when Fili and Bard turned it towards inventories and trade prospects. He strolled along chatting easily with Bain. He learned that Bain had decided to learn archery like his father and he and Kili talked for a long time about the craft. Kili was flattered that Bain had decided to ask him for advice, since most people would not think a dwarf very proficient with a bow and arrow.

"The next time you come to visit, I will be practicing at the range. Will you come to watch me, Prince Kili?" Bain asked.

Dwalin, who was walking on their left and only a step or two ahead of them, gave him the barest of a look. As if to say, _do not make the boy any promises you cannot keep_.

Kili placed a hand on Bain's shoulder. "I will have to see."

"You are going to visit Dale again, aren't you?" They had stopped at the end of the market as Fili and Bard talked to one of the King's advisors.

"I hope to, "Kili admitted. "It's just complicated at the moment. You see after I marry I will be traveling to the Grey Mountains for a bit—"

Kili was interrupted as a streak of pain flared across his neck, followed by a _thunk_.

"Wha—" He turned his head, following the sound he'd just heard to see a throwing knife quivering near eye level against the wooden post behind him.

"Prince Kili, you're bleed—"

Bain did not even have time to finish his sentence before Kili had grabbed the boy and yanked him away from their standing spot, as two more blades slammed into the post and the stack of baskets a street vendor was selling. The woman screamed and ducked underneath her table, hands over her head.

"The Princes are under attack!" Dwalin yelled. He rushed forward and grabbed Kili by his upper arm and hauled him into the circle of guards that Bard had brought along with them. Kili caught a glimpse of Bard pulling Bain to him and tucking the boy's head under his arm for protection, his sword draw and at the ready in his other hand.

"Back to the hall!" Bard ordered.

Fili and Kili were forced to run hunched as Dwalin pressed their heads down with a large hand on the back of each of their necks. Kili wanted to tell him that the men around them were more than tall enough to protect their shorter bodies, but he doubted it would do much good with how serious Dwalin looked at the moment. Fili turned his head as much as he could in Dwalin's grasp to look at Kili, though his golden hair was hanging in his face. One of Fili's rough, warm hands clutched onto one of Kili's and didn't let go until the group was safely ushered into the King's hall.

"Are you both alright?" Dwalin asked, Bard coming up next to him.

"We're alright," Kili breathed, more than a little out of breath. He felt a hand on his face and turned to Fili who proceeded to turned his face away and touch his fingers to Kili's neck. His brother's fingers shook against his skin.

"You're bleeding. Any closer and it might have severed something." said Fili.

Kili gripped his brother's wrist and squeezed lightly. Fili breathed out hard and yanked Kili into a tight hug. "Who would try to hurt you today? You were not even supposed to be in Dale. No one should have known."

"We will have to investigate this. Never the less, we should return to the mountain. It is the safest place for the both of you." said Dwalin.

"My apologies, Prince Kili, Prince Fili, that our day ended like this." said Bard.

"It is not your fault," Fili reassured him. "But we should head back."

Their ponies were waiting for them in the courtyard and an armed guard rode with them all the way to the city gates. As they raced back towards Erebor, Kili could only think that now he would never be allowed out of the mountain after this. No more hunting trips, no more time alone with Fili where they could talk and act freely. If he had thought the mountain had felt oppressive before, he had a feeling it was only going to get worse now.


	6. Chapter 6

"What happened?"

Kili was sitting on a cot in the healer's wing with Oin dabbing at his neck, when Thorin and his mother came rushing in. Fili straightened up next to Kili on the cot as the pair neared them, but did not release Kili's hand from his grip. Dis cupped Fili's face in between both of her hands and kissed him on his forehead. She flicked an glance at Oin, silently asking for permission to do the same to Kili. Oin shifted back respectfully to allow Dis to plant a kiss on Kili's forehead, before continuing with his work.

"It will need stitches," he commented and went to fetch a needle and thread.

"Tell me what happened out there." Thorin repeated.

Kili cast his eyes about the room, "Honestly? I have no idea. One moment I'm talking to Bard's son, Bain, about archery and the next moment there was a blade sticking out of the post beside my head. I wasn't concerned about anything going on around us after that, I just knew I had to move. So I grabbed Bain and pulled him away and before I knew it we were being attacked."

Thorin rubbed at his brow, squeezing the skin there together. "Well, thank Mahal that you moved when you did." he sighed. "You remember nothing else? You saw no one suspicious lurking around you at any time during your visit?"

Kili's eyes were fixed into his lap as he shook his head. "No, Uncle."

Thorin sighed again. "Very well."

"My King," Dwalin stepped forward. He had been wavering in the background for a few minutes now, looking troubled. "I want to formerly apologize for my lack of diligent in my protection of the Princes—"

Thorin waved his hand, cutting off the rest of his speech. "Dwalin, you are my oldest friend. I know you did all that you could. In this case, the assassin just had luck and surprise on his side. The important thing is that you brought my sister-sons home safely."

"But Uncle, how could they have gotten lucky?" asked Fili. "Kili was not even supposed to be in Dale today. He did not know where we were going until he and Dwalin met me at the stables."

Thorin's signature frown was back in place. "Yes, that is odd...I think we will have to investigate the workers. Starting with the stable hands. One of our servants has other loyalties than to their King."

"I will gather my guards and start questioning the workers." Dwalin bowed and left the hall. Kili stared after the dwarf, thinking about all of the servants and assistants he had passed during his activities this morning and wondering if any of them was an assassin in disguise. There were so many in Erebor, how would Dwalin ever find the one responsible before they decided to strike again?

Fili seemed to sense his unease. "Everything will be fine, nadadith. You let us handle this, you don't need any more worries."

At that moment an soft cough sounded from by the main doors. Sevrin stood uncertainly in the doorway. "I heard news of an attack...may I come in?"

Dis smiled and beckoned Sevrin forward. "Please come in Lord Sevrin. There is no need to worry for Kili. He's barely hurt."

Sevrin moved farther into the room until he was standing at Kili's shoulder. Dis interlocked her arm with Thorin's and started to leave the room, but not before sending a pointed look at Fili who had yet to leave his brother's side. In all honesty, Kili would much rather have his brother with him at a time like this, than his betrothed. He desperately wanted to curl up on the bed with his head in Fili's lap as his brother ran his fingers through his hair like he always did when Kili was upset. Still, he couldn't stop Fili when he gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go.

"I will leave you two alone to talk." He offered his space on the cot to Sevrin and departed. The cot dipped as Sevrin's weight settled down on it.

Oin returned with a mug of some kind of tea full on steeping herbs and roots. "Drink this. It will help with the pain."

"I think I can handle the pain of your needle." Kili remarked, his face scrunching up in distaste, nevertheless taking the mug into his hands.

"And suppose you cannot and jerk while I am sewing you up. I will not be responsible for stabbing an artery and causing you more damage. Now drink!" Oin commanded.

Kili lifted the cup to his mouth and took a small sip. The taste reminded him of the times Fili and he would play wrestle around in the mud as children and Kili would end up with a face full of muddy water. Kili's lips pressed together in a thin grimace. Oin had clearly not crafted this mixture for it's fine flavor. He risked another glance up through his bangs at Oin, who was waiting tersely for him to drink it so he could begin. Kili tipped the mug back and drank as much as he could before the horrible taste make him stop. Oin took the cup from his hands and placed it on a table beside the bed.

Kili's hair was brushed away from his neck and Kili reached up a hand to hold it out of the way.

"Do not move." Was the only warning he got before the sharp stab of the needle entered his flesh. Kili tried hard to suppress the flinch that overtook his body, his teeth grinding together, eyes crinkling in discomfort as he felt the tugging sensation of thread pulling at his skin. The pain was still there, but dulled by whatever was in the drink. A large hand rested on top of Kili's leg and squeezed gently. Kili was so surprised he tried to turn his head—even though he knew the only person it could be was Sevrin—before Oin's hand darted up and gripped his chin firmly in place.

"What did I just tell you, lad?"

Kili exhaled through his nose, "Sorry, Mister Oin."

"Mmmm," Oin replied noncommittally and pushed the needle through his skin again. Kili glanced out of his peripheral vision and caught Sevrin's eye, but he could not figure out what the other dwarf was thinking.

"Is there some reason for you touching me so affectionately, my Lord? Not afraid of needles, I hope." Kili joked.

He could sense more than see Sevrin's smile as the dwarf gave his thigh another squeeze and a quick swipe of his thumb. "No, I just assumed this would be the last I see of you for awhile. I thought I might give you something nice to think about."

"The last you're see of me?" Kili's lips twitched. "Am I dying? Has Oin skillfully kept this knowledge from me as to ease my passing?"

"Not dying, lad." Oin replied easily. "Perhaps Lord Sevrin might elaborate?"

"Ah," One of Sevrin's fingers traced a circular pattern on the inside of Kili's leg. Kili casted a quick glance at Oin. He was all for flirty, but he was about to put a stop to this playful touching in front of his physician if it went any further. "Well, I figured they'll have you locked away in your room after today's events. I probably will not see you again until we are recited our vows..."

"Dwalin has told me that I am only going to be confined to the castle grounds." Kili assured and then hissed through his teeth as Oin tugged particularly hard on the thread, pulling the stitch closed tightly.

"Sorry, laddie. I'm done now. Just tying the knot."

"That is good then...we will be able to spend more time together. To make up for our opposing schedules of late." Sevrin continued easily.

"Yes," Kili tried to keep his voice jovial, but the truth was that Sevrin both confused and intimidated him. He was an intense presence to be around, both very calm but also very serious. Passionate in every sense of the word. He reminded him of both Fili and Thorin at different times.

The hand on his thigh started to slide upwards, taking a more diagonal course.

"I would very much like to see you alone tonight. I think you would find it quite..._pleasurable_." The words were pressed against his ear in a rush of hot breath, the lips that spoke them following not a moment after. Kili _felt_ Oin's finger's, that had been resting against Kili's neck as he clipped the loose thread away, jerk. There was no way that his physician had not heard those words and there was no way that Kili could just brush it away.

His hand that had been holding his hair away from his neck dropped down heavily onto Sevrin's, stopping it's indecent trail. Kili tilted his head left until Sevrin's lips were no longer touching him.

"Oin," he said, eyes glaring into the floor. "leave us."

The old physician left his supplies where they laid, grabbed his ear trumpet, and scurried out of the room. When the door had closed fully, Kili turned sharply. "What was that?"

Sevrin chuckled. "Have I ruined the mood?"

"Is this funny to you?" Kili hissed. "Because, it should not be. I'm a Prince of Erebor. Even if we are to marry soon, you have no right to announce your wishes to bed me. Ever. It's lewd and inappropriate. Especially around the royal attendants. And you won't ever touch me like that again, are we understood?"

"I thought you fancied me, Kili." said Sevrin.

"It does not matter whether I fancy you are not."

Sevrin sighed. "My, how you like to send me mixed messages, don't you _Prince_ Kili." Kili nearly bit off his tongue at the mocking show of respect. "You tease so sweetly and then act like a shy little boy when I try to reciprocate. You tell me I should not have to ask to kiss you and then you start giving me orders—"

"I meant you did not have to ask to kiss me goodnight. _Not_ that you should start trying to fondle me in front of my physician." Kili argued. Sevrin chuckled again and brushed his knuckles against Kili's cheek.

"To kiss or not to kiss...I'm beginning to think I will have to decide for myself."

Kili's brow furrowed. "Wha—"

Sevrin's grip shifted to the back of his neck and yanked him forward. Their mouths met painfully, but Sevrin was quick to sooth it over with deep kisses and drags on his tongue across Kili's gasping lips, much to Kili's displeasure. He shoved his forearm into Sevrin's collarbone, pushing until Sevrin was forced to release Kili's neck and Kili was sent sprawling onto his back. Kili kept his hands firmly against Sevrin's shoulders to stop the Lord from clambering on top of him.

He was so shocked and furious that he was almost spitting as he ordered, "Get away from me before I call the guards on you!"

"I'm sorry, Kili. I misunderstood you." Sevrin sat back on his heels as Kili pushed himself off the bed. "You implied that when we were in private we might—"

"I did no such thing!" Kili snarled. He was on his feet in an instant. "And after what you saved me from on our second meeting—_Lord Runbar_—" Kili spat the name, for it still made the back of his mouth taste of sickness. "I thought you'd never do such a thing to me."

Why did everyone say that he had asked to be touched and talked to in such a way? How could anyone think that he'd wanted that when he'd never made any such move to kiss the other.

"Please, Kili. I would never—" He reached for Kili's hand, but Kili yanked it away. His skin itched with anger so strongly that he wanted to smash something and he feared if he stayed in the room with Sevrin any longer he'd break down crying.

"Don't speak to me and do not approach me. We will not be sitting together at dinner tonight." And then he was walking out of the room as fast of his legs would carry him without actually breaking into a run. The tears streamed down his face freely as he slammed the door to his room shut. Kili clutched his middle, his chest felt tight like he could not breathe, as memories of hands and a coarse beard scraped across his neck. Kili slid down the door until he was slumped on the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed the memories away.

"No, " Kili gasped. "He is not like him. Sevrin is not the same man..."

His throat hitched with a sob and he curled in on himself more, waiting until he believed the words he spoke.


	7. Chapter 7

**I recently listened to Florence and the Machine's song "What Kind of Man" and I feel it really relates to Sevrin and Kili's relationship, especially in their scene together in this chapter. I recommend giving it a listen. :)**

* * *

><p>Kili was lying on his bed when the knock sounded at his door. He had moved onto his bed hours ago, but not before ordering one of his guards posted outside to send a message saying that he was not feeling well and would not be attending dinner tonight. At some point he must have fallen asleep for the fire in the hearth was now low and his eyes and cheeks were sticky from dried tears.<p>

"Kili," Fili's voice came muffled through the door. "Are you awake? May I come in?"

Kili rolled over and stared at the door for a moment. He contemplated not answering, but he knew that would be childish and stupid. Especially since it was only Fili. He should have known that he would not be left alone for so long without someone coming to look for him. Hastily, he wiped at his face and sat up in his bed.

"Come in." he sighed.

The door creaked open slowly as if Fili were hesitant to enter and see what he might find inside his brother's room. Though, when Fili's head of blond, braided, hair emerged from behind the door there was no hesitance shown on his face, just the usual crease to his brow that appeared whenever he was worried for his little brother. Fili closed the door softly and leaned his back against it, arms folded behind him.

"You missed dinner," he remarked and appraised Kili for a moment, as if scanning him for signs of sickness.

Kili nodded, hoping it would distract Fili's eyes from their wandering. "A lot happened this afternoon. I just needed to get away for a little while."

"Well," Fili said, pushing himself off of the door and walked over to the table where Kili's archery equipment was laid out. "you didn't miss much. Sevrin didn't even stay long enough for me to have a proper conversation with him. I think he saw your vacant chair and thought the night a waste."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know you wanted to talk more with him." Kili replied, eyes cast down into his lap. He tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

The arrow shafts Kili had crafted were now ready to use and Fili picked up one of the finished ones, now fletched with dyed yellow feathers and affixed to the steel arrows that were his courting gift from Sevrin. Fili twirled the arrow through his fingers.

"Don't worry about it. I've no doubt that I still would not have gotten to talk to him, even if you were there. You're all he seems to have eyes for."

Kili couldn't help but cringe at Fili's remark, remembering a hand sliding greedily up his thigh. He looked back up at Fili and realized too late that Fili had been watching him as his brother seemed to still and glance back towards the door. Kili's mouth opened trying vainly to think of something to say before Fili put two and two together, but Fili was too quick for him.

"Kili," Fili said, placing the arrow back on the table and approaching him slowly, eyes searching his face, that crease forming again between his brows. "Is that why your guards stopped me at the door? I had thought it was just Thorin's doing, extra security after what happened in Dale. Has—has something happened between you and Sevrin?"

"It's nothing, we just got into an argument." said Kili.

"An argument about what?" Fili urged.

"It doesn't matter." Kili tried to shift off of his bed, but Fili was in front of him in an instant, holding him in place by his upper arms before he could do so much as get a boot onto the ground.

"It matters to me," Fili insisted. "Oin came to talk to me. He advised me to keep an eye on you—"

"You know how Oin is. He worries about everything."

"No, that would be Dori. Oin also told me to keep an eye on Sevrin. If there is one thing I know about Oin, it is that he does not stick his nose into other people's business unless he deems it necessary. Now why would he be approaching me about your suitor, Kili?"

"It was just a misunderstanding," said Kili, and a small part of his conscious burned with the knowledge that he'd just repeated the words Sevrin had used hours ago. That did not matter right now, he reassured himself, he just did not want his older brother to bring this news to Thorin. "I took care of it."

"Took care of _what_?" Fili snapped, and Kili knew his harsh tone had more to do with concern than actual anger but that did not stop him from flinching anyway.

Kili sighed and fidgeted with his hands in his lap for a moment, almost praying that Fili would change his mind. He peeked up through his bangs at Fili standing over him, waiting expectantly.

He sighed again before explaining. "I—I had just thought it harmless flirting at first, then he got rather forward and suggestive, in front of _Oin_...I knew what Thorin would say—that it was not proper for a Prince of Durin to allow such displays in public, that they should be confined to the bedroom. So I dismissed Oin and told Sevrin that he wasn't allowed to flirt so publicly with me, to touch me in that way—"

"He touched you?" Fili growled. "Mahal, Kili. I thought you said this was harmless flirting!"

"It was! Until he did that..."

"Well, at least you did right. Thorin would be proud of that. But you said you two got into an argument..." Fili pressed.

"He said that I was sending him mixed messages. That it was not fair for me to flirt with him if he could not show me how he feels in return." said Kili.

"Well, I can't say that he is wrong about that. It is a bit unfair to tease him so, Kili."

"But I wasn't teasing him! I was just talking with him, nothing that would give him the urge to bed me. One minute we were arguing and the next minute he was on top of me." Kili regretted the words the minute they left his mouth at the way Fili shot up from the bed.

"Are you telling me he tried to force himself on you?" Fili growled.

"Nothing came of it, Fili—"

"I'll have his head."Fili snarled. "_Thorin will have his head._No wonder that bastard didn't show his face for long at dinner."

Fili moved towards the door and Kili scrambled in front of him, blocking his path. "What are you doing?" He asked.

Fili's brow furrowed like the answer was obvious. "What he did was an act of treason, Kili. I can't let that stand. I'm going to tell Thorin."

Kili pushed his palms into Fili's chest as Fili tried to walk around him. "Fili, please, I swear he meant me no harm. I told him to stop and he backed off right away. Please, it wasn't treason. I swear it! Please don't tell Thorin and have him call off my marriage!"

"Kili," Fili sighed. "I we can't just let something like this go—"

"Erebor needs this treaty." Kili urged. _I need this treaty_ Kili wanted to add, to prove his worth to Thorin, but if his brother understood anything about him, he already knew this.

Fili's blue eyes stared at him for just a moment, and Kili thought his brother was going to agree with him and push this task out of his mind, but then his gaze dropped and he gave a hasty shake of his head.

"Thorin will understand. Your well-being must come before any treaty."

Kili bracketed Fili's face in between his two hands, tugging on one of Fili's mustache braids when he refused to pull his gaze from where he was resolutely staring at the door handle. "_Please_."

"Do you love him?" Fili asked finally.

Kili lips parted, ready to spill a hurried _yes_ anything to end this conversation, but he paused. Love. How was he supposed to know if he loved Sevrin when he barely knew him? And how could he truly know the man he was agreeing to marry through all these layers of formalities? If there was anything he knew from growing up in Ered Luin, it was that titles and noble blood had a way of changing the way you perceived a person. Most of the time when they lived at home, Kili was simply Kili. But during the odd times Fili and Kili would visit some of the other Dwarven settlements, the brothers became heirs of Durin. No longer could they hold simple conversations with guards and tradesmen, no, now all of those sentences were filled with formalities. Dwarves who would have called them _lads _once, now addressed them as _sirs_.

"I don't know," Kili confessed. "Not yet. But I feel something for him, something that I am not ready to give up on yet."

Fili relented.

"Let me talk to Sevrin," and at Kili's surprised grin, he was quick to add in, "As long as he understands the gravity of this situation and swears that something like this will never happen again, then I see no reason to inform Thorin of his actions today."

Kili squeezed Fili's middle in a tight hug.

"Thank you." he breathed into Fili's tunic.

Fili pointed a strong finger in his face. "I'll tell him, as I'm telling you now, if I see or hear about anything like this happening again, even if it is right before you walk down that aisle, I'll tell Thorin. I swear I will. Because if you end up unhappy a year down the line, then I will think it is my fault for not stopping this when I had the chance, and I won't be able to live with that guilt."

"You worry too much, brother." Kili laughed and finally stepped aside to allow his brother to leave the room.

"I can never worry too much about you," Fili sighed. "Mama always said trouble lives just a step behind you and she is right."

Fili pulled open the door. "Are you hungry at all? I can have a servant sent over with some food while I speak to Sevrin."

Kili's stomach grumbled at the thought of food. It was answer enough for Fili, who grinned and slipped out of the room.

* * *

><p>Kili was reading a book in front of the fireplace, his belly contently full, when there was someone else at his door. He jumped up to answer it thoughts already on Fili and what he had to say after his talk with Lord Sevrin. It was not the sight of his brother that greeted him when he opened his door, however. His smiled dwindled.<p>

"Lord Sevrin." said Kili cautiously, his eyes flickering to the guards standing at his door to ease his mind.

Sevrin cleared his throat. "I know you said you didn't wish to speak with me after today, but I thought that since Prince Fili came to speak to me, you might let me apologize again and…" his gaze wandered to the guards standing on either side of him.

"Please, come in." Kili pulled the door open wider, realizing quickly that this conversation should not be overheard by the guards. Sevrin brushed past him into the room and stood in the middle of the room. He waited for Kili to close the door, before he started speaking.

"I didn't realize you would send your brother after me for what I tried today. Does he always make threats on your behalf?"

Kili crossed his arms. "I didn't send him. He went there on his own accord...and you should be grateful that he did. He was going to take this directly to the King. You would have been tried for treason, Sevrin. Do you have any idea how serious this is?"

Sevrin pulled at the single plait in his beard. "I do now. I suppose it was you who talked your brother out of it?"

"Yes."

Sevrin turned towards the hearth. "We could have done without all of this if you had not told your brother in the first place…"

Kili bristled. "I never said I told him anything."

Sevrin glanced over his shoulder at Kili. "Well, you had to didn't you? How else would he have known?"

"Oin," Kili snapped, irritated by Sevrin's claim. "You do remember the physician who was stitching up my wound this afternoon, don't you?"

Sevrin chuckled. "I thought he was deaf."

Kili rolled his eyes skyward. "He has bad hearing, yes, but he is not blind. And he was the one to talk to my brother. He was concerned."

Sevrin wandered about the room. He spun the book Kili had been reading around on the table until he could read the title and leafed through a few pages. "Still...it does not change the fact that you were the one to confirm what your physician claimed. If you had lied it would have been your word against his, and I have no doubt that your brother would have accepted that."

Kili glared. "I'm sorry, is there something you want to say to me?"

"Hhmm?" Sevrin glanced up from the book with a bored, questioning look that only made Kili's blood boil more.

"Did you come here to apologize to me or blame me?" Kili growled.

"A bit of both I suppose."

Kili tried hard to be calm, but he'd always had a hot temper. "To think I just begged Fili not to take this to Thorin! And here you can't even show me any gratitude!"

Sevrin snapped the cover of the book shut and in three long strides was standing in front of Kili. He gripped Kili's forearms and squeezed tightly. "Gratitude?" he huffed a laugh. "You want me to show you gratitude? For what, crying to your older brother like a child because somebody did something you didn't like? I've been patient with you for as long as I can stand. It's time for you to stop acting like a child, Kili."

Kili tried to jerk his arms free, but Sevrin had them held tight. "Let go of me."

"Why? Are you going to cry?" Sevrin sneered. "Going to call your guards to protect you because you're too weak to protect yourself? That's what they all say you know. They call you the little elf prince of Erebor, walking around with your bow and arrows. A disgrace to your family name. They're all worried what will happen if Fili dies and you become Thorin's heir. They were so relieved when you announced me as your fiance because they feared you might marry some tree shagging elf."

"Stop it!" Kili cried, feeling tears stinging at the back of his eyes. Sevrin's grip on his arms was bruising now, and Kili thrashed hard, trying to dislodge him. "Guard—"

Sevrin slapped a hand over Kili's mouth and shoved until Kili stumbled back into a wall. He used his body weight to pin him there, his other hand keeping Kili's wrists firmly in his grasp. Kili could feel the skin around his wrists burning with friction as he tried to twist them free.

"Shut up!" Sevrin panted, right in Kili's face. "You won't tell anyone about this, do you hear me? Not Fili, not the King, no one, because you're lucky to be marrying me. A noble dwarf lord with battles under his belt. _Mahal, _Kili. I love you so much, but you're such a naive, hopeless dwarf. I can't blame you though, can I? You weren't raised on proper dwarvish standards like your brother."

Kili tried to turn his face away, feeling the tears finally fall from his eyes. They rolled down his cheeks and onto Sevrin's hand. "Shhh…"

Sevrin peppered kisses on Kili's forehead. "Don't you worry. We'll be married in two days and then I'll show you how to behave like a proper dwarf. Alright?"

Kili's eyes were squeezed shut and when he failed to do anything, Sevrin spat. "Nod."

Kili gave a jerky nod, no longer trying to fight Sevrin's hold.

"Good,"Sevrin seemed to realize the fight had drained from him and released him. He leaned into him and kissed him, mouth firm and insistent against his own and Kili let it happened. He couldn't have moved even if he wanted to, he was so rooted to the spot in fear.

"Tell anyone about this and I swear there will be consequences."

And then Sevrin was straightening his clothes and walking out of the room like nothing had occurred. Kili was left staring at his closed door, wondering what he was going to do.


	8. Chapter 8

Kili leaned his forehead against one of the cool stone walls of Erebor. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to get up the nerve to have this conversation. It was never something that he expected to have to talk about and definitely something that he didn't want to ask, but he knew he had no other options. Kili breathed deeply again and push away from the wall, making his way down the halls to the royal quarters. The guards acknowledged him when he reached his destination and Kili tried to ignore their curious eyes as he knocked on the door.

There was a long pause before Kili heard the turn on the door handle and then the door swung open, revealing his mother. Her dark curly hair hung long and loose down around her shoulders. "Kili, darling," she said upon seeing him. "What brings you here this early in the morning?"

"Hello, Mama. There's something that I need to ask you." said Kili.

His mother peered at him in that motherly way that he'd never understood. Then she stepped aside. "Very well. Come inside."

Kili walked into her chambers and sat himself down on the lid of the trunk that stood at the foot of her bed. He waited, legs jiggling with pent up energy, as his mother pulled a chair over.

"Are you hungry?" His mother produced a platter of bread,cheese, and fruit from a side table and offered it to him. Though Kili usually was a nervous eater, he thought about the marks on his wrists that he'd woken up with this morning, now covered by his shirt sleeves. "No, I already ate."

"A drink, then?" She indicated the carafe of wine that sat on a side table.

"No, Mama. Please just sit down so I can ask what I came to ask." Kili sighed.

"Well," Dis sat down in the chair across from Kili. "Now you really have me worried."

"You mean you were worried before?" asked Kili, he couldn't keep the curious expression off of his face.

Dis smiled at him and reached across the space to take his hand in hers. "Kili, darling...You are my youngest son and because of this you have never had quite as much of a burden put on your shoulder. For as long as I can remember you've always been such a happy, free-spirited boy. So, yes, whenever you come to me saying that we need to talk, I get worried because I know it must be about something serious to you."

Kili shook his head. "I didn't know that I was so transparent to everyone." It was no wonder Sevrin called Kili naive and was able to trick him with kind words for so long. Kili was practically an open book and now Sevrin wanted to rip up some of those pages and write in a few of his own.

His mother squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It is a testament to just how much of a wonderful dwarf you are Kili. And it has always brought me such joy seeing you so happy and unconcerned with the bad things in our world. It is a blessing, not a weakness."

_If I had been more like Fili, I might have realized that Sevrin was not all of the man he claimed to be._ "I'm not so sure I agree with you, Mother."

"Kili," Dis tilted Kili's chin up so that he gazed at her face. "What troubles you? What have you come here to ask me?"

"I— I know it is not something that you wish to talk about, because it is painful for you to remember, but I feel that I need to ask. It...it is about you and father."

Dis flashed a sad smile and nodded. "Fili was the one to teach you not to ask me about your father, wasn't he?"

Kili rubbed his thumb against his mother's hand in small circles, hoping it would reassure her. "Yes, he did not like the way that it made you cry when I asked you about him. He told me that I should never ask about him unless it was very important."

"Ah," Dis gave a weak laugh and wiped at her eyes. "Well it is good to know that you still follow Fili's rules as if they were law. It is no wonder your Uncle could never get you to listen to him once your brother suggested one of his grand adventures of the day...I suppose you think it is very important now?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Then you may ask me and I will promise to try not to cry this time. We would not want to upset Fili."

Kili could hear what she had not said, _I will not tell Fili... Whatever you ask me._

Kili fidgeted some more, trying to figure out how he could phrase this without his mother suspected something. "When you and father were married, I know it was not easy times for all of it... Was father ever—were there every fight between you two?"

"Oh yes, all the time." she replied. "but I suppose that's what a marriage is. You take the good with the bad."

"What did you fight about?" asked Kili.

Dis' laughter was loud and clear. "You know, sometimes it felt like everything and anything. I remember Vili came home once, smelling of sweat and fire from the smithy and Fili was still just a little one. He ran up to your father and was trying to get his attention— he'd waited up to play with your father — but Vili said he was going out to get a drink in the tavern with Thorin and that I shouldn't wait up for him. I remember being so mad at him for not paying attention to Fili and I that I threw a pot at his head and told him he ought to marry Thorin instead if he wanted to spend so much time with him."

Kili guffawed, momentarily forgetting his troubles. "You threw a pot at Da?"

"That I did. And he apologized the next morning and didn't neglect you boys ever again. If you want respect in a marriage, darling, all you have to do is show him that you mean business and the sooner he realizes that, the easier it will be for him. You can't let yourself be pushed around."

_Yeah, look at how well that went for me last night. _"Did he try to push you around in the beginning? Da?"

Dis shrugged. "I don't really remember to be honest. It was such a long time ago. I suppose he must have tried something once or twice. All men have their expectations about what makes a good wife."

Kili rubbed at his wrist through his sleeve, still feeling the ache from his bruised skin. "Did he ever get...violent?"

Dis' eye's widened in shocked. "_Mahal_, darling. Of course not! What would even make you ask something like that?"

"Nothing, nothing," Kili rushed on, eager to put the question out of her head. "I just never really knew him. I was just curious…"

"No, darling. Believe me, Vili and I did not have an easy marriage, but your father was a good man. He would never think to lay a hand on me."

Kili could feel his mother scrutining him closely and his skin itches under her gaze. His mother had always been good at reading him or at least realizing when he was not being truthful with her.

"Alright, thank you. I have to go, Mama." Kili jumped up from his seat and started walking towards the door.

"Kili," Dis called, her voice sounding worried, like a sudden thought dawning on her, but Kili refused to be in the room to confirm or deny anything. He bolted out of the room and down the hall. It was only when the sound of his mother's voice had faded out of earshot that he allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing?"

Kili's heart seized as he spun around. "Wha— Sevrin."

"Why were you just coming from the queen's chambers?" Sevrin repeated, voice low but no less threatening. It seemed that Sevrin had not let go of his anger from the night before, or perhaps he had just given up all pretenses around Kili now that Kili had seen his true colors. Kili wanted to shrink away from that cold glare in his betrotheds' eyes, he wanted to run away. A new recurring feeling of disgust roiling in his gut every time he looked at Sevrin because _this was the man he had chosen, a brute who knew how to use pretty words to his advantage_. How could he be such a horrible judge of character?

Still, Kili knew that the only way to put an end to this was to stand up for himself. _You can't let yourself be pushed around_, Kili remembered Dis' words. The sooner that Sevrin understood that he was not the one with the power here, the sooner his behavior would change.

He tried to quiet the hammering of his heart in his chest. "I was speaking with my Mother. What else?"

"About what?" Sevrin hissed.

It took a lot of nerve with Sevrin leaning into his personal space, but Kili tilted his head to the side and managed to force a sardonic laugh. "What, are you worried that I told her about your rough treatment last night? Because you should be. Assaulting a Prince once is banishment _at best_, twice...well that's death. And after how you've treated me recently, I wouldn't even give you a warning. You'd be completely unaware until the guards came bursting into your room."

There was a heady sense of power saying those words to him. Knowing that he held someone's fate in his hands. He wanted Sevrin to know it as well. He wanted Sevrin to remember it.

Kili expected Sevrin's scowl to drop. He expected his mouth to open in shock or perhaps for his teeth to grind at being put in his place. What he had not expected was a satisfied smirk and a gleam to Sevrin's eyes. That euphoric feeling fled him fast, replaced with a cold feeling inside his chest.

"No, you didn't tell her a thing. Do you want to know how I know Kili?" Sevrin caught Kili's chin in his grasp and rubbed his fingers into his cheeks. It was rough and Kili tried to jerk his head away, but Sevrin held him still.

"It's because it's not in your nature. You're protective to a fault, just like the rest of your family. You won't order my death unless you have to. You don't hate me, I can see that you want to, but you don't. Not yet at least. And it's all so confusing to you, how you pull away and are drawn back in. You're just a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

Kili had decided to carry a weapon on him, just the small carving knife from his archery equipment, slipped into his belt. And now when he was fighting for control of this situation, he slid it out and dug it firmly into the meat right below Sevrin's hip. "You might be right, but I have no qualms about hurting you if you even think about doing something to me. Now take you hands off of me."

"My, my," Sevrin glanced down at the knife point and released Kili's face. He rubbed his fingers together as if the fact he'd been touching him was suddenly off-putting to him. "You continue to surprise me, Kili. That's one of the things I like about you. My warning still stands, however. Not a word to anyone or you'll regret it."

Sevrin turned and started to walk away, and Kili was so tired of this lord shoving him around, both physically and emotionally, and then leaving him on the ground. He was so tired of him getting the last word. He at least could take that from the man, if nothing else.

"You're not my keeper, Sevrin." he shouted at the man's back. "That would be Fili. In case you forgot." Sevrin stopped walking all together and Kili feared he might storm back and lash out at him. He gripped his knife harder, thumb pressing against the blade's edge. But Sevrin only turned enough so that Kili could get a glance at the angry slant of his features and then he stalked away.


	9. Chapter 9

**So these Khuzdul translations might not be accurate because using personal pronouns in this language confuse me...**

**bâhazunshith-**little raven

**gazgûnmê- **you monster (brute)

* * *

><p>It was snowing again, not even letting the layer that had fallen before melt away before more was piling on top of it. Kili sat on the ledge of the parapet, hunching in on himself underneath the thick fur cloak draped over his shoulders. The winds, like always this high up on the mountain, were strong and bitterly cold. Kili knew he ought not to stay outside in this cold, but in truth he was hiding again. He was too scared that he might run into Sevrin— afraid of the backlash that might be hurled at him from his brash remarks this morning.<p>

_I just need time to gather my wits about me_, he told himself. Because that was the kind of game he and Sevrin were playing, a game of wits and ploys, all hidden behind pretty words and pretenses. He just needed to win. The question was...did he win by cancelling the marriage or by staying silent and waiting for everything to come to light? Was there even time to wait?

His thoughts were interrupted by a cry from behind him. "I found him!"

Kili jerked around to stare at a winded Bofur, hands braced against his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Bofur? What are you ta—"

He was cut off when Dwalin, followed by an entourage of armed guards, burst out onto the balcony. Kili's eyes flickered from Dwalin's drawn sword to his grim face. "What's going on, Dwalin?"

His old weapon's master looked weary, something Kili had only glimpsed a handful of times in his life and never for anything good. And Kili knew then, that something bad had happened. "What is it?" he whispered. "Has someone been killed?"

"No, laddie. No one you know has died." said Bofur. Kili could sense the silent _yet_ that he was holding back from adding onto his statement.

"You need to come to the infirmary, lad. It's Fili." said Dwalin.

Kili took a shuddering breath and then he was pushing past the guards in front of the doorway heading towards the infirmary.

"Kili!" came Dwalin's sharp yelled followed by a hand gripping his arm tightly. "You can't just go running off. We do not yet know that the palace is safe. You must let us escort you."

"Then escort me to my brother, Dwalin. But do it fast, or I swear I will start running. Whether it is safe or not."

Dwalin knew not to keep the brother Princes apart from each other, especially when one of them had been hurt. He gave a sharp nod and then the group was off at a brisk walk towards the infirmary. With swords slid loosely into their scabbards for easy draw, the guards traveled in a V formation around Kili, Bofur, and Dwalin as a flock of geese might. During that time, Dwalin explained briefly what had happened to Fili.

"He'd gone up to the tower to send a message by raven to Dale. The guards were stationed to wait outside for him. We believe that an assassin must have killed the guards at the bottom of the tower first and hidden on the steps to ambush him. He was stabbed in the side and took a nasty fall down the stairs. The assassin left him for dead and killed a great many of our guards during his escape."

"That poor serving girl that found them all." murmured Bofur.

"He won't die, right?" Kili asked, his heart clenching in his chest. "He's just injured."

"Fili is still unconscious, Kili. Oin does not know when he will wake, but he's hopeful

that Fili will pull through. You're brother is strong, lad. If anyone can survive this, Fili can."

Kili gave a terse nod as they were ushered into the quiet of the infirmary. The doors closed firmly behind them and the guards that had been traveling with them, dropped off to assume their stations beside the doors.

"He's in the bed at the far back. We will give you both your privacy." It took Kili a moment to notice that, besides Oin, there was another figure at Fili's bed. A figure draped in dark green velvet and golden trim.

"Mother," Kili rushed to her and she turned to pull him to her chest. Her hands stroked the back of his head.

"My _bâhazunshith._ Thank goodness you're alright. I was so worried something had happened to you as well when no one could find you."

Kili turned his face to the side to get a glance as his brother lying in the bed, motionless except for the steady rise and fall of his breaths. His tunic was opened, revealing his heavily wrapped torso underneath. There was also a deep gash on Fili's forehead, where Kili assumed he had cut his head during his fall down the stone stairs.

"Do they know who did it? Another assassin?" Kili sat in the chair on the opposite side of the bed and took Fili's free hand in his. He squeezed Fili's hand, hoping any second that his brother would wake up, squeeze his back and give him his classic tired smile like when he was sleeping of a cold. _Miss me?_ he'd always ask Kili afterwards.

"There is an attendant who had been suspected. He was seen conversing with some of the Lords from the other kingdoms, ones who bred dislike for your Uncle. And a few saw him travel to Dale before you and Fili went there, when he had no reason to be in the area. Thorin is seeing to his interrogation in the dungeons as we speak."

"I don't understand why anyone would make an attempt on Fili's life. I mean...I was the one who was attacked in Dale. Fili was not even in harms way. If they didn't attack him then, why would they change their minds now?"

"It does not make sense," agreed Dis, " though we do not know what our enemy's intent is. Perhap they mean to thwart our alliances with our surrounding kingdoms; through your marriage to Sevrin and Fili's friendship with King Bard."

"What dwarf would not want us to form new alliances? asked Kili. "Erebor is the main Dwarven stronghold. Any alliances we make would only strengthen us as a kingdom and bring prosperity and trade."

Dis brushed the hair on Fili's brow back from his face. "You would be surprised how many dwarves do not want to renew some of our alliances. I'm sure Thorin's hatred for the elves is obvious to you, because they did not come to our aid long ago. There are many that share his view and have no desire to give them anything that is crafted from our mountain. Others believe the man-folk will betray us just the same in the future. They saw how the men and elves united together in the battle of the five armies and they will remember it."

"Then they are a bunch of pigheaded fools if they are willing to risk the lives of their Princes to hold onto their grudges." said Kili, hotly.

"Aye, darling." Dis smiled sadly at him. "If more of us valued home above gold, it would be a merrier world. I wish everyone were as clear headed as you."

Just then the doors swung open to allow the King and his followers to enter. Thorin walked over to them. "He confessed that a Lord offered him a title and a plot of land if he killed the youngest Prince of Erebor."

It sounded so cold and simple said in such a way. Like there was nothing else to think about. "I suppose it is hard to resist such a grand offer." he spat.

"Kili—" his mother cautioned.

"What?" he glared. " My life was threatened for a piece of land and now Fili is lying here wounded in my place. You can't expect me to be civil about this. It's unbelieveable!"

"Brother, who was this Lord and what was his intended outcome?" asked Dis.

Thorin crossed his arms across his chest, looking grim. "Lord Runbar from the Iron Hills. I have already sent Dain Ironfoot and his men to search him out."

"_Lord Runbar?_" repeated Kili, shocked. "No, the man might be a passionate drunk, but he's harmless."

"I was informed that he made advances on you that you had to reject forcefully and Runbar did not take kindly to it. If the talk is to be believed. I would not call that harmless, nephew."

Kili shot up from his chair. "How do you know about that?"

Thorin's eyes softened. "Kili, I do not blame you for what happened—"

"Who told you?" he repeated, eyes darting around to the faces of the company that remained in the room. Fili had said he'd asked them to watch over him that first week, who else would feel the need to tell Thorin?

"I told him." Sevrin stepped into Kili's line of sight. Kili had not even seen him come in with the group. "When I heard it was Lord Runbar, I knew it could only be for one reason that he would wish such ill-will on you."

Kili's face burned.

"It was not your place to tell the King my private business!" he shouted. Though inside he was only wondering, _what are you getting out of all of this?_

"Kili!" Thorin barked. "Lord Sevrin wished only to protect his betrothed as he swore to me he would do. You will apologize to him."

Kili stared at Thorin for a moment in silent resistance. Thorin's glared darkened and Kili quickly muttered, "I apologize for my rudeness, my Lord."

Sevrin nodded. "It is understandable that you would be upset in current circumstances, Prince Kili."

"Good," said Thorin. "Now it is thanks to Sevrin that we know of Runbar's intentions to stop this union. No doubt he expects us to delay the wedding until the assailant is found, but we can not risk it. We cannot allow Runbar to plan another attack."

"What are you saying?" asked Kili, eyes widening in alarm, because he had a very good idea what Thorin was saying.

"The wedding will happened tomorrow as planned with double the guards."

"But Fili—"

Thorin gripped Kili's shoulder. "I know you'd rather wait for Fili to wake, but it is too dangerous to wait. Sevrin has offered his own men to replace the guards we lost today. Fili will be well watched over, Kili. Do not worry for him."

Kili shook his head. "No, Thorin. I won't do it without him!"

Dis touched Sevrin's arm. "Perhaps you could bring Kili to his room? He should rest."

"Of course, M'lady." said Sevrin and took Kili forcefully by the arm.

"No, Thorin, Mother, please! I need to talk t—"

"Come, Kili!" Sevrin tugged Kili towards the exit.

"You will be allowed back down to see Fili later, darling. This is just for your safety." his mother called out to him. Then Kili was tugged out of the room and down the hall, no matter how much Kili pleaded or tried to shake off Sevrin's grip.

When they reached the royal quarters Kili spoke up. "You can let go of me now. I'm not going to try to run or anything."

Sevrin let him pull his arm roughly out of his hold. "Oh I don't know about that. You're a sly one."

They reached Kili's door and Sevrin addressed the guards that had followed them. "You are to guard the Prince's door. No one is allowed in or out until I come to get him later today. Is that clear?"

"Yes, m'lord." they answered, standing stiff on either side of his door.

Sevrin reached around Kili and pushed the door open. He gestured Kili inside and followed after, closing the door behind him. Kili pulled a wooden chair out from the table and slumped into it. He put his head in his hands on top of the table top.

"What are you still doing here, Sevrin?" Kili grunted. "Get out. I want to be alone."

"Just seeing if you've learned your lesson…"

Kili turned his face until his cheek was pressed against his forearm and he could properly see Sevrin standing by the door. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not in the mood to play one of your little games, Sevrin."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to get you to realize, Kili. This isn't a game. I don't play games, I win them. And I don't take kindly to people who bend the rules."

Kili sat up in his chair, frustration pinching his features. "Seriously? Again you want to talk about our _agreement_? I remember, alright? Why don't you go do something of use, like help hunt down Runbar."

Sevrin chuckled as he wiped his finger across the dust on a bookshelf. "Well that would be a waste of my time. Lord Runbar isn't behind your brother's attack."

"What?" Kili's mouth felt so dry he could barely swallow.

"Aww, Kili." Sevin turned to face him. "You're a smart dwarf. You didn't really believe that, did you? That was just for the King's benefit."

"No," Kili shook his head vehemently. "It couldn't— if you were in Dale someone would have seen you... I would have seen you..."

"It's amazing what a bit of money and a few false promises can get you around here. They were just lining up to do my will. Very useful to remember for the future."

"_Gazgûnmê_! " Kili's chair toppled backwards in his haste to stand. "What did Fili ever do to you to deserve such a fate?"

"Call me what you like. I was just protecting my interests."

"I am not your property!" Kili shouted. He was in front of Sevrin in seconds, spitting words in his face. "Are you really so jealous of my relationship with my brother that you feel the need to take him from me?"

"Yes! You are marrying _me_. You are supposed to adore _me_, not your brother!" Sevrin hissed. "I am the one you are supposed to go to for comfort, to take care of you. And now that Fili's out of the way, I will be your keeper. Not him."

"You're insane," Kili breathed, eyes searching his face but finding nothing of the man he'd first felt fond of. "And I'd be crazy for marrying you."

Kili moved to step around him,but Sevrin's words stopped him cold. "Another step and your brother's death will be on your hands. He will not make it through the night."

Kili turned sharply. "Save your threats. You can't stop me from telling the King."

Sevrin smiled and Kili wanted to punch him in his stupid face. "I'm not making idle threats, Kili. Who's guards do you suppose are watching over Fili? So unfortunate how many guards were killed today, leaving you lacking."

Kili growled, hand itching to draw his hidden blade, but he forced himself to clench his hands into fists and remain still.

"Here are your choices; stay quiet and marry me tomorrow as planned, or try to tell and force me to put a dagger through Fili's chest."

"I'm not forcing you to do anything, you bastard!" Kili spat.

"Rest assured that if you marry me, I swear never to threatened Fili's life ever again. You will come live with me in the Grey Mountains and our kingdom will be an ally to Erebor. What is your decision?"

Kili's eyes were full of unshed tears. "Please, like you don't already know what I'll say."

Sevrin turned to face him head on, one eyebrow raised. "Prove it to me. Kiss me like you will on our wedding day tomorrow, in front of the whole kingdom. Kiss me like you love me."

Kili jerked Sevrin into him by his coat and smashed their lips together, making no attempt to make it gentle. He put as much of his aggression into the kiss as possible, using teeth and tongue to show just how much fight he had left in him. Kili would not roll over so easily. Sevrin might have won the battle but he wouldn't win the war. Kili moved away from Sevrin a moment later, panting harshly.

Sevrin sucked on his bruised lips, his eyes alight. "Well, hopefully you'll use less teeth tomorrow."

Kili stood still as Sevrin left the room, the door closing and locking from the outside after him. So, it seemed Kili would be fated to marry Sevrin after all.

Kili howled with fury and kicked over the chair he'd been sitting in. He smacked the items off the table watching them shatter and spill, then upturned the long table onto it's side in front of the fireplace. He stepped over the table legs, looking for the next thing to destroy but couldn't find anything to release his fury on. With tear blurred eyes, he found his knife and stabbed at the stone walls with it.

"Prince Kili, is everything alright?" The door creaked open, revealing one of his guards. No... one of Sevrin's guards.

"Get out!" Kili screamed and hurled his dagger at him. It stuck into the doorframe, the guard's eyes widened and he stammered an apology, slamming the door shut. It locked again.

Without his dagger, Kili took to the walls with his fists. He moved to the wall by his bed and pounded into the stone until his knuckles turned bloody and burned. His voice had gone sore from screaming and it took him a moment to catch his breath. He rested his forehead against the stone, his anger finally drained out of him. He gave one savage kick to the stone for good measure and almost fell on his ass when the section of wall gave inward with an explosion of dust.

When the cloud of dust had cleared enough for Kili to see properly, he noticed the stone he'd kicked had sunk in more than its neighbors and a doorway the height of a small man was cracked open. Kili placed his hand on the stone door and flinched at the air that rushed out from the gap between the wall and door. Warily he pushed on the door until it swung open to reveal a long set of stone steps that led into darkness.

He remembered Thorin delighting Fili and him with such stories when they were young dwarflings. Could this really be it though? One of Erebor's secret passages?

Kili grabbed the candle from the table and lit it. He paused for a moment, worried that a guard might enter when he was gone, but then he saw the knife in the door. He doubted anyone would disturb him for awhile. Kili stepped onto the first step, feeling the cold mountain air fan across his face. He breathed in the smell of mildew and descended into the darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

It was slow going, descending the hidden stairway into the depths of Erebor. The passage was dank and the smell of mildew and rotting things only intensified the farther down Kili traveled. It brought back unpleasant memories of the goblin tunnels from their quest, except the stone walls of Erebor were chiseled smooth with dwarven skill that calmed Kili's thumping heartbeat. A rat squeaked and scurried over Kili's boot, he jumped back, pressing his back against the wet stone as the rat passed him and crawled back the way he'd come. Kili took a moment to swivel his candle back and forth in front of him, looking for any more hidden rodents, but there were none to see at this point.

"Where do you lead to?" Kili asked the darkness as he trekked farther down. It seemed to take forever until he found the first landing, a smooth slab of stone with a door set into the side wall. Kili lifted his candle higher trying to find something that looked like it would open the door, but found nothing. Kili placed the candle down on the landing and planted his palms against the door. He pressed against the stone, first at the middle and then sliding his hands outwards when that didn't work.

"C'mon," Kili grunted at his threw his shoulder against the stone, hoping he was just not using enough force. What was the point of finding a secret passageway if you couldn't open any of the doors?

He threw his weight into it again and lo and behold there was a grinding noise as if the stone was trying to move but something was blocking its progress. Kili stepped back from the door for a better look, his eyes caught on the thick moss that grew around the doorframe. Kili dug his fingers into it, pulling out clumps and dropping them at his feet. He pulled until his fingers ached and his nails were lodged with dirt, but finally the doorway was cleared. He tried the door again and this time when he pushed it started to swivel outwards until he could slide through.

He poked his head out and was greeted with the sight of...a store room.

"Well this is entirely underwhelming," sighed Kili as he glanced around at the piles of linen and wash buckets. Might as well see what part of the mountain they were at. He opened the storage room door a crack and glanced out, huffing a laugh. Near the kitchens, if the wafting smell of roasted meat and other delicacies was anything to go by. Well… if he was ever in the mood for a midnight snack, he'd be sure to remember this door, but at the moment it was of no interest to him. Kili slipped back into the secret tunnel, pulling the heavy stone door back into place behind him.

Kili glanced back up towards his room. He had no way of telling how long he'd been gone in darkness of the tunnel. Someone would be coming to bring him to visit Fili soon. He needed to figure out how far this tunnel led before someone noticed he was missing. With a basic plan of action Kili scampered down the steps at a faster rate, the candlelight flashing off of the walls as it was jostled about in his hand.

It seemed to take forever. Kili knew that the mountain was large but he'd never realized exactly how big until now. The tunnel ended at a single door, a strange whistling noise coming from it. Kili extended his hand outwards and grinned at the glide of air through his fingers. There were only a few places in the mountain that opened to the outside and ventilated air into the rest of the mountain and you could only get to one by heading down. The stables lay on the other side of that door, Kili could tell by the smell of fodder and leather that permeated the air. Kili worked the door open, it wasn't as obstructed as the other one had been. Perhaps it had seen more use back in the day. Kili peeked through the crack to see if anyone was around. It wasn't often that Kili was in the stables in the evening, but he knew messengers and the like were constantly going in and out. It was risky to be exiting a secret passage down here, especially when the palace guards were on high alert, but Kili needed to be sure he had a clear path to his pony.

For the moment there was no one in the stables, it was quiet except for the shuffling and snorting of ponies as they moved around in their stalls. Kili pushing the door closed and moved in a low crouch. The section of the stables the passage opened up to was in the far right of the stables, where the hay was stacked. Kili moved forward in a low crouch, keeping himself hidden behind the stacks. He peeked around the dividing wall, the bridles that hung there jangling from their pegs as he shifted. Kili was quick to still them again. He waited a breathe in complete motionlessness but no one came to investigate the noise. Kili darted across the gap to the stalls.

Tilly was snuffing at some hay when he found her stall. Her eyes swiveled when Kili stood up from his crouch. "Hey, girl. Did you miss me?"

Tilly nickered lowly at him in greeting, her tail flicking out behind her. Kili stroked down the pony's neck. "I hope you're ready to run tonight, girl. Dwalin won't be coming with us to hold us back this time."

Kili slipped back into the passage and started up towards his room. _Where am I going to go?_ he asked himself as he climbed. There was no doubt in his mind that Bard would shelter him in Dale, but it was too close to Erebor and could easily be overrun by Thorin's forces. Kili stopped on one of the lower landings, probably near the treasury if he had to guess. He leaned against the wall, staring at yet another secret doorway. _Mirkwood is a safe distance away and there is no way Thorin would be able to search the area without interference from King Thranduil._ The problem was, Thorin might not be able to get access, but then neither could Kili. Kili sighed, he would have liked to see the elven guard Tauriel again. She had been kind to him. Still, the idea had been stupid. Everyone knew that King Thranduil never did anything unless he had something to gain from it.

Kili blinked at the door in front of him again and smiled. Perhaps entering Mirkwood was just like entering Erebor… all you needed was a key. And Kili had just the thing.

* * *

><p>The door to his room swung open with only a short knock as warning. It didn't matter, however, Kili was prepared for it. Sevrin entered the room quickly and closed the door behind him. It was only then that he stopped to gaze at Kili, who sat at the fore of his bed, back braced against the headboard.<p>

"Time to go," he said. Kili nodded, slowly. His bow was sitting on the table. Every nerve in his body wanted to notch an arrow and launch it straight between Sevrin's eyes, but Kili knew that couldn't happen. _Keep your head down,_ he told himself. _Play along_. The more Sevrin assumed that Kili was accepting his fate, the more privacy he would get during the night. It was the only way this plan was going to work. In fact, his plan was counting on it.

They didn't talk on the walk to the infirmary. Kili was surprised that Sevrin wasn't gloating or something of the sort, as it seemed to be an enjoyable activity for him. Glancing through his dark bangs at the pair of guards that trailed behind them, however, Kili guess Sevrin deemed it wasn't safe. Kili had heard the change of the guards outside his doors while he'd waited for Sevrin's arrival, and although Kili did not recognize their face, Sevrin seemed to know that they were not his own men. The doors to the infirmary were shut when they arrived.

Kili breathed a sigh of relief when Dwalin stepped away from the dwarf he was talking to in hushed tones to greet them. "My Prince. My lord Sevrin," Dwalin inclined his head to them.

Thinking fast of his feet, Kili turned to Sevrin. "I would like to see my brother alone. If that is not too much to ask?"

"I do not think that is wise." Sevrin replied, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Someone needs to be looking out for you."

"Aye, I will be doing that." Dwalin spoke up, as he adjusted his weapons belt that hung about his waist. "Prince Kili will be safe under my watch, lord Sevrin. Don't you worry about him."

Sevrin opened his mouth, looking horribly lost for the words he was looking for. Kili smiled to himself, he rather liked that look on the dwarf. "You may go, Sevrin."

"Yes, my Prince." Sevrin replied tersely and departed with one last sour look at Dwalin.

Kili watched the dwarf walk away, the itch that had been irritating the back on his neck finally easing a bit. "Let's go in."

The doors were pulled open and Kili and Dwalin entered into the dimness of the infirmary. The first difference that Kili noticed was that it was quiet… like a crypt. All of the other cots in the room had been emptied except for the one that Fili lay in. A small group of guards were dispersed throughout the room, eyes firmly fixed away from Fili's limp form.

"I don't like him lying all alone like that, Dwalin." Kili murmurred. "He should have somebody with him. I don't want him to wake up to strangers."

"Aye, laddie. Don't you worry, your mother was here not but a little while ago. Oin sent her off to get some rest before the ceremony tomorrow."

Kili felt Dwalin's hand come to rest on his shoulder and squeeze. "Go on, now."

Kili nodded, faintly, and went to take up the chair by the bed. Fili did not look much different from when Kili had visited him before, except perhaps some of his color was coming back to his face. Kili picked up his brother's hand that rested limply on the bed and folded it between both of his.

"I'm so sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen to you..." Kili's eyes burned and it was only a moment before they were watering. "This is all my fault. I know you always think it is your job to clean up my messes, but you shouldn't have to be in this position because of me."

Kili pulled Fili's clasped hand against his lips, trying in vain to suppress the sob that was rising in his throat. His tears fell freely onto their joined hands. He knew it was a stupid thing to even try, since he doubted Fili could really hear him, but he had to try.

"I don't know if you remember, but my wedding day is tomorrow...Sevrin is not the man that I thought he was, Fili. I was a fool and I let him play me like one and now I've put you in danger. I need you to wake up... _please Fili_...I need my big brother to stop me from doing something reckless. Please wake up."

Kili waited in vigilant silence, hoping for the smallest of a sign from his brother. A twitch of his fingers or perhaps the stutter of a breath. He was met with stable breathing and nothing more. "I guess I've made my choice then."

Kili leaned forward and kissed Fili's brow. "Stay alive, brother. I'll be back as soon as you wake. I promise."

Kili caught Dwalin's arm in a tight grip before they reached the doors. He cast a quick look at the guards around them to make sure their attention was elsewhere. "I don't want anyone but the company watching over Fili from here on out, is that clear?"

Dwalin's voice was low and gruff with unease. "What's this about, lad?"

"You cannot trust the guards, I can't tell you why, but you are just going to have to trust me. Dismiss them and have only the company at Fili's bedside. I need you to swear to do this for me, Dwalin."

Dwalin looked disturbed, but still he nodded just faint enough for Kili to see. Kili released a breath he didn't know he was holding, his grip slackening on Dwalin's arm. "Thank you. You have no idea what you're doing for me."

"Then tell me," Dwalin insisted, bushy eyebrows scrunching in frustration. "Enough with all this secrecy, boy!" He sighed. " I am here to help you Kili, but I cannot do much if I don't know what I am up against."

Kili bit his lip. Oh Mahal, how he wanted to tell his old weapons master everything and let him deal with it, but he knew he couldn't take that risk. Fili's life hung in the balance and his silence was the only thing keeping him breathing still. "I can't, Dwalin."

"As it stands, lad, you are the only one who seems to know what is going on— "

"And I think it should stay that way. It is safest for everyone at the moment." responded Kili, eyes flickering to one of the guards who had shifted closers towards them sometime during their conversation. Kili hoped that he would hear nothing of suspicion in their talk that he thought to bring to Sevrin.

"I need to go…" said Kili, his mind already going through what to pack, and this time it was Dwalin's turn to grip his arm as he tried to leave the room.

"_Durin's beard._" Dwalin growled. "You must give me something to tell Thorin. I can't repeat your words to him and not have some proof."

If Kili's mind was not in such a frantic, he might have laughed at himself. He might be a Prince of Erebor, but even that title had no sway over Dwalin's stubborn protectiveness and fealty. Kili needed to end this without having to spill any more information and there was only one surefire way to do that, though Kili loathed to have to stoop to it.

"You do not tell me what I must and must not do. I am your Prince, Dwalin. Now, I say release me." Kili declared, loud enough for the guards around them to listen in eagerly.

"Aye," said Dwalin, "that you are." His rough hand retracted from Kili's elbow. Kili couldn't place the expression on his face, but he looked almost proud… angry, but proud. Kili sped out of the room after that, his heart pounding in his chest as he went. Mahal, he had never dared to defy Dwalin so publicly, and the fact that he'd done just that made him feel almost nauseated.

He tried to take deep breaths to steady himself. "Focus, Kili. Stick to the plan."

* * *

><p>It was ominously quiet when Kili slipped out of his bed covers and started to dress as silently as he could. Kili had been staring up at the ceiling for the past couple of hours, his only entertainment being the shifting sounds of the guards outside his room and the endless worries that swirled through his brain as he watched the time tick by. Kili pulled his bag out where he'd hidden in underneath his bed. The bag was fully packed with what he needed, but Kili's weapons were still laid out on the table. He'd been too afraid to pack them until it was time, lest Sevrin came to his room and suspected something.<p>

He moved to the table now and started arming his body with the twin daggers Fili had crafted for him before their quest. He slipped his carving knife back into it's slot on his quiver and then added his arrows. Kili eyed the wooden box that held his courting gift. His hand hovered over the lid for a moment, until finally rational sense overtook his actions and he added those arrows into his quiver as well. They were good steel arrows, he reminded himself, and it would be a long and dangerous journey. He could not afford to be stringent about his arrows, even ones with so much emotional attachment.

Kili hefted his pack onto his back, slung his bow over his back, and unlocked the hidden doorway. The candle flame danced in the sudden gust of mountain air that rose up from the passage. Kili picked up the candle and stepped up to the doorway. He looked towards the door, suddenly terrified that it would burst open. He was so close to escaping that he could almost taste it and now that the opportunity was staring him the face, it seemed almost too good to be true.

He stepped onto the first step and closed the door behind him, sealing himself in the darkness of the passage. Kili took a deep breath to steady his pounding heart rate and shook out his free arm with a quick jerk. He closed his eyes, "Just go." _Before he lost his nerve entirely._

He raced down the crooked stairs like his life depended on it. Now that the rush of escaping was coursing through his veins, he barely gave a care for his own safety as he practically tumbled down the last flight of stairs, nearly twisting his ankle twice. He braced his hands against the stone door that led out to the stables. This was the dangerous part. He didn't know who would be in the stables at this time and he needed to even his heavy breathing and let his sharp eyes and ears lead his way for this part. _Be the hunter not the hunted, Kili, _he reminded himself.

He pushed the stone door open, and crept out into the stables. He kept so low to the floor for the first few steps, that he was practically crawling across the hay strewn floor. The hay stuck to his clothes and itched his nose something fierce, but Kili was so nervous he could barely pay it any mind at the moment. When he was sure that no one was in the immediate area, he allowed himself to rise from his crawl and made his way over to Tilly. Tilly nickered softly and snuffed at Kili's offered hand. Kili stroked her muzzle, anxious to quiet his usually excitable pony before she attracted any attention with her noise.

"Shhh, girl. I'm going to tack you up, alright? But we have to be quiet about it."

Kili tried to keep as quiet as possible as he fetched the blanket and saddle and threw it over his pony's back. Still, every instinct in Kili's body was on fire with the need to escape making it hard to focus on the task at hand. Kili breathed a harsh curse as his fingers fumbled on the saddle buckles. He could see his hands shaking and he balled them into fists, forcing himself to take a breath before trying again. The straps buckled tight this time and Kili moved onto the bridle.

When his pony was fully saddled and ready, Kili pushed open the main stable doors. The air was fresh and cold as it fanned against him, any other time he would have enjoyed it but right then Kili turned his back to it. Tilly podded a few steps into the open space as he opened her stall door. "Time to go, girl." said Kili as he led her closer with a few backwards steps towards the open doors.

"Garik, you sad excuse for a manservant, I better not find you sleeping off—"

He stilled at the sudden booming voice and the body that rounded the corner with it. Kili's face was hidden behind Tilly's neck for the moment, but Kili knew that would only delay the inevitable. He _knew_ that voice.

"You there! Have you seen a manservant passed out in here, perhaps?" asked Sevrin.

"No, M'lord." Kili replied, trying to make his voice as low and gruff as possible to disguise his natural tone.

"Hmph…" Sevrin grunted. Kili squeezed his eyes shut tightly and ushered Tilly a few more steps towards the door, making sure to keep his head down and hidden from the light. _He's not leaving!_ Why in Mahal's name wasn't Sevrin leaving. Kili knew for a fact that Sevrin didn't give a damn about what one dwarf that he, hopefully, assumed was just a messenger, was doing.

"Is this your pony?" Sevrin asked suddenly and Kili's breath caught in his throat.

" 'course it is, M'lord." Kili gripped the reins tighter.

"Your saddle is very nice. I did not know messengers were paid so well. What is your name, sir?" Kili could feel Sevrin's eyes trying to search out his face in the darkness. Oh no, he was going to be caught for sure if he didn't leave the stables this instant. The question was, could he make it before the guards took chase after him? And how far would he get with them on his tail? His pony wouldn't be able to make it for long at full speed.

"Show me your face, this instant!" Sevrin hissed and snatched at Kili's shoulder suddenly. Kili was jerked around to face Sevrin's angered expression which quickly became more frightening when Sevrin recognized him.

"_Kili._" He hissed, and Kili thought his name had never held so much anger or promise of future pain than it did in that moment. Kili reached behind him blindly, where he knew his quiver was secured. He grasped an arrow and struck out with it. It lodged into Sevrin's shoulder with enough force that Sevrin hollered and relinquished his grip on Kili's arm to clutch at the wound.

"Guards!" Sevrin screamed. "_Guards!_"

Kili didn't waste a second for breath as he swung himself into the saddle and kicked his heels into Tilly's sides. They were still inside the stables and the doorframe was not made high enough for a mounted pony to exit safely without the rider taking their head off, but Kili did not have a moment to spare. Tilly started to move just as Sevrin threw himself against her side, large hands clutching any part of Kili's person they could reach.

"You are not leaving!" Sevrin grunted and yanked hard on Kili's tunic, nearly pulling him out of his seat. "Did you really think you could escape so easily?"

"Get off!" Kili thrashed against his hold. He tried to urge Tilly forward, but Sevrin's actions were scaring her and causing her to circle and try to rear in fright. There was no way he could safely cross through the doors like this. Kili's boot slipped out of his stirrup, he pried at Sevrin's fingers which ensnared his shirt and kept him in a sideways hunch, to no effect. The guards would be here any second and then Kili would be finished. With firm determination, Kili kicked out with his freed boot, catching Sevrin in the chin and freeing his tunic in the process. He kicked again, his boot punching down onto Sevrin's shoulder, just as he started to hear the clatter of running feet. The guards...

"Go Tilly!" Kili yelled, digging his heels hard into Tilly's side. The motion combined with his pony's already panicked state spurred her into action. She shot forward at a diagonal, and Kili tugged hard on one rein to straighten her out as the doorframe loomed straight ahead of them. Sevrin still had one hand firmly gripping Kili's saddle strap, determined to not let go even if that meant being dragged along by Kili's pony.

Kili loosed the reins more, letting Tilly go as fast as she pleased and ducked his head against her neck. He thought he felt the scrape of a wooden beam along his shoulders. The doors passed in a blur of vision and sound only punctured by a pained yell and a harsh tug that jerked Tilly off course for but a moment. Kili glanced behind him to see Sevrin laying in the dirt, half resting against a door. It seemed he had slammed into the doorframe in the rush and the arrow in his shoulder had been punched clean through to the other side. Kili grinned, it served him right.

The pleasant feeling didn't last for long, however, as he glimpsed the first pony being hastily saddled by a dwarf and mounted.

"Alright, Tilly. Now comes the hard part."

This run felt completely different than the one he'd enjoyed on that morning hunt with Dwalin. Mahal, it felt like a century ago. The ground right around the stables was rough slanted rock. It was not meant to be raced down at full speed, so Tilly's hooves skidded and fumbled down the slope, the ride jarring on Kili's bones. Kili was relieved when they hit the sloping plains at the base of the mountain.

There was the sound of cascading rocks and Kili looked behind him to see two guards skidding down onto the plain. Kili kicked his heels into Tilly's side to urge her faster. There was no doubt that those riders would catch up with him on the open plains. Kili's only hope of losing them was through the forest. The air was bitterly cold as it rushed around Kili and tugged at his unbuttoned coat. The area was completely dark on the plains, the only light was far off to the left, the city lights of Dale. Kili would not be heading there tonight, his destination was the dark mass of trees that was rising up in front of him at a rapid pace.

The pair of riders were right at his back when he entered the forest. To say the least… it hurt. He'd taken the shortest direction towards the path, jumping a thicket and dodging around a few trees. The branches caught at his hair and cut at his exposed hands and face. The lacerations stung in the frigid air as Kili came out onto the forest path. Kili was given a few precious seconds to put some distance between him and the other riders as they were waylaid by tree limbs and thick bushes.

Kili pulled his bow from his back, he really wasn't going to like this part. He pulled two arrows from his quiver and turned in his saddle. As the two guards emerged from the trees, Kili took aim and let his arrows fly. One arrow to the neck of each pony. The ponies shrieked and collapsed forward, taking their riders with them to the ground. Kili pulled his bow back over himself and yanked Tilly around. He galloped off down the forest path, now free from present pursuers. He was finally free, of Sevrin and Erebor, but as the injured ponies wailed into the night behind him he could not bring himself to feel joyous.


	11. Chapter 11

Kili's head sunk further towards his chest as he drooped heavily into his saddle the only the only thing keeping him upright was the firm grip on the saddle horn he put all of his remaining energy into maintaining. He'd been traveling for a day and a half already, stopping for only a few hours of rest for him and Tilly and then mounting up again. He'd reached Mirkwood forest late this morning and had been traveling through it for about an hour already.

Kili would have liked to say that he'd seen the elven scouting party before they came upon him, but that would have been a lie. In truth, the only glimpse he had of them was after he'd fallen out of the saddle from pure exhaustion, hitting the unforgiving stone path with enough force to knock the breath out of him. He peered through watery eyes up into the tree canopy that swam above him. The view was interrupted by a woman's narrow face peering down at him worriedly, surrounded by a waterfall of fiery red hair.

Kili smiled despite the darkness creeping into his vision. "Tauriel…" he sighed before slipping into the blackness.

* * *

><p>When Kili awoke again, it was to the crackle of a fire and the sounds of quiet voices that had him reaching frantically for a weapon that was not there.<p>

"Be at ease, _mellon nin_. You are in no danger here." Kili shifted on the bedroll that had been spread out under him to look at the elf that had spoken, a pale man with chestnut hair. The elf sat next to him, cross legged and weaponless. Kili could only assume he had been watching him, waiting for Kili to wake up. His thoughts were confirmed when the elf called out in his native tongue to the group that sat farther away.

The brown haired elf stood and his spot was replaced by another, an elf that Kili knew quite well. "Hello Tauriel."

Tauriel settled onto her knees next to Kili in the grass. She still looked worried but not as much as Kili remembered before passing out. "I had not thought we would see each other again." she admitted with a small smile. "It is good to see you, though I would have wished under different circumstances."

"As would have I." Kili replied, tilting his head this way and that, trying to gauge their location. "Are we far from the path, Tauriel?"

"After you fell, I thought it best to bring you back to the King's halls. We've traveled far from where you once were, and are now settled in a clearing off of the forest path, but it is still a day's travel to the hall."

Tauriel looked critically over at Kili's curled up form. " Do you think you will be able to stay in your saddle? The journey will be faster if my patrolmen don't have to carry you on the stretcher."

Kili stretched out his hand and closed his fingers around Tauriel's wrist where she was picking at her boot laces. "You're worried about how fast we make it to your King… you know why I'm here, don't you?"

Tauriel met his eyes and then dropped her gaze. "I do not know _why_," she sighed, " but I know that it must be urgent. You are traveling without guards, based on the distance from Erebor to Mirkwood I would say you have been traveling for almost two days now and must have left at night or early morning at least, and your attire is not equipped for traveling. All of these things lead me to think that time is not on your side and that reaching your destination is of the utmost importance."

Kili smiled up at her. "Thorin never spoke well of elves, but I always knew you were an especially perceptive bunch, even if you are a bit flowery and strange."

Tauriel stifled a laugh into her hand. "And I'm sure that some elves would say that dwarves are dirty and improper, but I know differently as well. You are also brave and loyal."

"Perhaps in the future we can change things... make our races see past the prejudice that exists between elves and dwarves." said Kili.

"I have hope that when Prince Fili inherits the crown from your uncle that things will change for the better. Like you, he seems to be more open-minded."

Kili squeezed his eyes closed at the mention of his brother's name and had to turn away from his elven friend. Tauriel had served as a brief distraction from his worries but now Kili's thoughts turned back to Fili and became even more somber. Tauriel talked of Prince Fili inheriting the crown, but Kili did not even know if he was still alive after his escape from Erebor. For all Kili knew, Sevrin might have had his brother murdered in a fit a rage after losing his betrothed on the eve of their wedding day. Kili just hoped that Dwalin held up to his promise to protect his brother.

"I am ready to ride, if that is alright with you and your company?"

"Certainly, " replied Tauriel before standing and calling out to her patrolmen. They were packed and atop their horses in short order, in lines of two with Kili and Tauriel stationed next to each other in the middle. Tauriel signaled to the elf at the front of the line, the brown-haired male that had sat with Kili while he slept, and he called out to his kind to move forward. The group rode at a brisk pace for the rest of the journey back to the elven king's halls and Kili was almost glad that he'd fallen out of his saddle so that his pony had some time to rest before moving so fast again.

Kili tried not to stare in awe when their group arrived at the gates of Mirkwood. The large stone doors and the intricately carved pillars that stood on either side of them were beautiful to behold, a sight Kili had not taken much notice of on his first visit when he was being led in as a prisoner. Kili tried to ignore the stares he received from the elven guards as they dismounted in front of the bridge. He did not care about what these silvan elves thought of his presence here, all he had to do was secure King Thranduil's protection and secrecy.

Kili secured his pack onto his back and was reaching for his bow before Tauriel intercepted him. "I'm sorry. You'll have to leave your bow here."

"I'm not going to try to assassinate your king, Tauriel." replied Kili, his hand not lowering from its position.

"I never said that you planned to, but my orders have not changed. All visitors must leave their weapons outside of his majesty's hall and any packs must be searched."

Kili scowled and retracted his hand from his bow. His fingers instead went to fidget with the strap of his bag. Tauriel leaned down closer to Kili, "I can search your bag if you are wary of my men doing so."

"Thank you," Kili breathed a sigh of relief, handing over his pack to her. Tauriel searched through it efficiently and Kili waited in tense silence for her to find his most precious possession. When she did, she gasped and glanced around at her soldiers before whispering insistently to him, "_Where did you get these?_"

"That is for me to know and your king to find out." replied Kili before tugging his bag out of her hands.

Tauriel said no more on the matter and lead the way into the hall. Elven guards parted as the group made their way forward until they reached the steps that opened into Thranduil's throne room. Tauriel turned to one of the guards posted in from of the steps. "Please, tell the king that Prince Kili of Erebor requests a meeting with his eminence. Tell him that it is quite urgent."

The guard had not been gone for more than a few minutes before he returned with a message. "The king expresses his disapproval for not being informed of your journey to his kingdom and is currently busy with matters of state. He requests that you return later."

"Where does your king suggest I wait until his business is finished? And how long should I expect to be kept waiting for?" asked Kili, crossing his arms across his chest.

"King Thranduil will call for you when he desires to, until then it is required that you make camp outside of the palace."

Kili looked to Tauriel for help. "Did you express to the king the urgency of this meeting? Of who it is that is asking to see him?" she asked.

"Yes," replied the guard, his face looking almost pinched. "The King is quite aware of the secondary Prince of Erebor's presence in his halls. He stated that the last time he had dwarven royalty in his halls it caused quite a fuss and that he is not yet ready to deal with any problems your visit might cause."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kili glimpsed Tauriel's hand tighten on the hilt of her blade. "Oh I don't believe this…" muttered Kili, eyes rolling skyward. "I was always told that elves' wisdom came from seeing things from the long-term perspective. I did not think they were so low as to hold onto past grievances. Apparently I heard wrong."

"I can't say I've heard the same of dwarves." hissed the guard. Kili clenched his jaw and reminded himself that it was not considered proper to knock someone's teeth in. He tried to act as Fili might; level-headed and dignified. "Very well."

He turned away from the guard still trying to display royal dignity, until he realised quite suddenly that there was nothing dignified about this. It was simply an act of one, haughty, elvish king thinking he could disgrace a young prince without any consequences. Thorin wouldn't have stood for it and Fili would know that he shouldn't either.

"I'm sorry about this Kili I should have known—"Tauriel whispered.

"I want you to shove him out of the way. Give me a clear path to get through to the King."

"What?" Tauriel whispered. "No, Kili. The guards will see it as a threat on their King."

"Bring me outside of these walls and I'm as good as dead. Do you want that on your conscience?" Kili met her eyes through his wavy bangs.

"Try not to get yourself killed. I can't protect your after this...it will be in the hands of the King."

Tauriel stood a steadying breath. She turned on her heel and charged into the nearest guard who was caught unsuspecting and fell backwards over the steps. Kili leaped over their fallen bodies and ran towards the throne, with elvish shouts and the pounding of feet following in his wake. Kili shoved through the semicircle of elves that had been standing around the dais, his hand already reaching into his pack as he went.

King Thranduil had been reclining on his throne, cheek braced against his fist as if he couldn't stand to keep it up any longer. When Kili broke through the crowd, his head rose in alarm.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"King Thranduil, I mean you no ill will. I come here to ask for your shelter and protection— "

The guards were on top of him before he could speak anymore, hands tight on his arms and shoulders, forcing him onto his knees before the throne.

"I told you to wait outside until I called for you." drawled Thranduil, still maintaining his air of boredom and disdain.

"And I told you it was urgent business." replied Kili, squaring his shoulders and rising to his full height. "I know you wouldn't dare refuse a meeting with Thorin and if you have any sense in you, you'll show me the same respect."

Thranduil picked at his nails. "I think you're underestimating exactly how much I despise your uncle…"

"You will show me the same respect!" Kili repeated.

"Very well!" Thranduil cried exasperated, rolling his eyes towards the arched ceiling. "Save some of that fire for your intended."

"Leave us." Thranduil snapped at his advisors. With a wave of his hand, the guards released their hold on Kili and retreated back the way they had come. Kili was left standing in front of the elven king, rubbing at his abused arms.

"Speaking of which...isn't you're wedding almost upon us? I have a hard time believing your intended is okay with you running around on your own."

Kili quirked a brow at the king. "My intended is a manipulative snake who only wants to marry me so that he can control all of my future actions and attempted to assassinate my brother when I tried to leave him. I don't give a damn what he thinks of me being here. The last time I saw him he had one of my arrows in his shoulder and the only part that I regret was that I didn't loose every arrow I had into his chest."

Thranduil's hand dropped away from his cheek and he leaned forward in his chair. "Well, well... now I'm intrigued. We don't have marriage scandals that are nearly as exciting as yours here in my realm. I want to hear more."

Kili's brows scrunched together. "Does that mean you'll give me your realm's protection and shelter?"

Thranduil laughed and it sounded cold and aloof to Kili's ears. "My boy, did you forget the part of our conversation where I told you I despise your uncle. I simply said your problem intrigued me, but what's to motivate me to protect you from your own people? What am I going to get out of this except more hate from your people and quite possibly another war?"

"I have something that you want desperately… something that Thorin refused to give to you." Kili produced the leather bag from his pack and offered it up to Thranduil. Thranduil came down from his throne and snatched the bag from Kili's hands. He loosed the ties that held it closed and gasped.

He looked at Kili. "You swear to me that these are not forgeries?"

"I wouldn't know how to fake them, your grace."

Thranduil poured them out into the palm of his hand.

"_White gems of pure starlight_." He breathed. Without looking up at Kili again, like he couldn't take his eyes away from the gems even if he tried, he said. "You have my protection. Clear the hall I want to be alone."


	12. Chapter 12

Kili could pinpoint the exact moment when any respect that his noble title might have earned him in court, disappeared. It was the day when the demand came down from King Thranduil that Kili would adhere to the rules and etiquettes of elven court. Kili could only assume that Thranduil wanted to make a fool out of him in front of everyone, for he must know that Kili had no knowledge of the ways of elves. He would have succumb to his fate of being the laughing stock of court for however long he stayed here if it had not been for Tauriel. The captain of the guards had taken the time to visit him on her off hours and attempt to teach him the ways of court. His first exercise in using this new found knowledge, it seemed, would be for the Prince's name day banquet.

Kili was made to dress in elven clothes—sleek silvery fabrics that hung loosely on him, but at least someone had gone to the trouble of hemming them to his height. Kili longed to be back in his own dwarven-made clothes, but he knew that he had to play by Thranduil's rules if he wanted his protection. Bribing the elven king with white gems might have granted him protection and favor but that was only a temporary answer. If Fili were here, his brother being ever the diplomat, he would have urged Kili to do whatever he could to stay in Thranduil's good graces. And if that meant suffering through a night with strangers in clothing that made him feel naked, then so be it.

Kili was waiting for dinner in the room that had been offered to him, when Tauriel announced herself outside his door. He called her in and was surprised to see her carrying a box, not unlike the one that his courting gift was in. That thought alone made Kili's chest seize up with unease, but he forced himself to sit still and listen as Tauriel opened the box and told him, "King Thranduil would like you to wear this for the celebration tonight."

Kili gazed down at the box to see a heavy gold circlet resting on the velvet with three, dark blue, sodalite gemstones embedded in it on the front and sides of the circlet. The crafting style was distinctly dwarvish which made Kili wonder how Thranduil could have come into possession of such an item, especially one made for royalty.

He picked up the circlet and balanced it between his fingertips. "I've only ever worn one of these once… when Uncle Thorin had his coronation. Erebor was still in such a mess that Balin just went into the treasury and dusted off the first two crowns he came across."

He huffed a laugh as he stared at his reflection in the gold. "They didn't even fit properly, but we were all too afraid that Thorin might fall under the gold sickness again to worry about our appearances. I guess people might find it a bit more graceless if my crown is falling off during this type of setting, won't they?"

Tauriel tried not to laugh at him, but her mouth parted in an open smile that suggested silent laughter. "Yes, I know I wouldn't want to talk to a prince with a crown sliding down his nose."

Kili glared up at her through his bangs. "I never said that it was that big on me. Exactly how small do you think my head is?"

"Honestly, with the way that you were shamelessly flirting with me when we first met, I'm surprised that you even got it on your head to begin with."

Kili rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, har-har. You're one to talk, you dagger hoarding scoundrel. By the way, Fili is still annoyed with you for that. What kind of person doesn't give someone a dagger when they're in mortal danger?"

"You were my prisoner!" Tauriel cried. "And a stranger."

"Well I can't really hold that one against you, can I?" sighed Kili. He combed his bangs into some semblance of an order and placed the circlet on his head, but for the life of him couldn't get it to sit straight.

"By the maker, I'll never understand how something that is supposed to slip on your head is so hard to wear." cursed Kili. Tauriel stood up and moved behind him. "Here, let me."

Kili's thoughts wandered back to that night when all of this mess started, that celebration for the reunion of their people. Quite like Tauriel was doing now, Fili had sat behind him helping him look presentable. Kili wondered to himself if this was history repeating itself — in which case Kili was doomed to an even worse fate than what had already been thrown at him, or if perhaps it was a sign of things coming full circle and the end of this nightmarish situation.

"There." declared Tauriel. "With this on you look almost as magnificent as King Thranduil himself. He'll love you."

Kili did not think he looked magnificent. If anything he looked older… he felt older with the weight of it resting on his forehead. He tried to conceal his gloomy expression like he would probably be doing for the rest of the night. He still had a few more moments in peaceful company with Tauriel though, so he might as well enjoy them.

"Don't let your King hear you say that. He might think it's a beauty contest." Kili winked at her through the reflection in the mirror.

There was a knock at the door. "You may enter." Tauriel called out.

The door opened part way, revealing an elf with coppery red hair. "Prince Kili's presence is called for at the celebration, Captain."

"Thank you, Toron. You may go. I will see that the Prince arrives safely." replied Tauriel.

The elf bowed and left.

Tauriel and Kili walked in silence until they were standing in the hall that entered into the room where the party was being held. Kili could already hear the lute music playing slow and quite. He rolled his eyes heavenward. What had he gotten himself into?

Tauriel caught his expression and smiled. "Remember what I taught you and try not to offend anyone too badly.

"Right." Kili sighed and rounded the corner into the room. The cluster of elves that had been conversing nearest to him stuttered to a stop, their eyes appraising his appearance haughtily. One of them, Kili ventured a guess that it was a woman, failed to conceal a giggle behind her hand. Kili's hands balled into fists. He wanted nothing more than to turn back the way he'd come and stay in his rooms like he'd been doing for much of his stay here. But then Tauriel stepped up behind him and nudge him in the shoulder discreetly, and he figured he had no choice but to move forward into the room. Halfway across the room he was flagged down by one of Thranduil's servants.

"Dinner is about to start master Kili. The King asks that you take the seat next to him."

"Of course. Lead the way." The servant brought him over to a long table and pulled out the chair for him. Kili sat down, his eyes flickering around him at the other elves to figure out what he was supposed to do next. Mimicking the elf seated on his left, Kili pulled his napkin onto his lap and took a small sip of water.

A server came around the table and stood behind Kili's shoulder. "Would you care for some wine, Sir?"

"Yes," Kili said perhaps too earnestly, for King Thranduil who was seated at Kili's right and at the head of the table, smirked at him over his own glass of wine. "Thank you." Kili replied to the server in a calmer tone and took only a small sip of his wine, trying to appear more relaxed than he felt.

It became easier as the minutes ticked on and the food was brought out and Kili realized he would not have to talk to many people. Kili lamented that though there actually was meat on the table, unlike when they ate dinner in Rivendell, it was still not what he was used to. Still Kili took his serving of leafy greens and lean meat and picked at it with as much interest as he could muster up. Considering himself an open minded and adventurous person, he stabbed a green leaf with his fork and ate it. It was crunchy and tasteless, Kili quickly decided he hated it and hurriedly swallowed it down with wine.

"I have not seen much of you during your stay here, Prince Kili. Are you enjoying your stay in my kingdom?" asked Thranduil.

"I am, though the time would pass by easier if I were allowed outside, perhaps with my bow." Kili replied, hoping the King would finally relent and return his weapon to him.

"I'm sorry but we cannot have you with weapons inside my court. Only my guards are allowed armed inside these halls."

"And yourself and the Prince." Kili didn't feel bad reminding him after the day when he saw Prince Legolas walking around with his Uncle's sword. His company had lost all of their weapons when they were imprisoned, and they were never returned to them, now Kili was going to lose another bow to these elves.

"Yes," Thranduil replied smoothly, eyes narrowing at him, but Kili turned his face down towards his plate. They lapsed into silence for awhile.

"You look very much like a younger version of Thorin wearing that." Thranduil spoke up, indicating the circlet on Kili's forehead. It took Kili a moment to realize that he might have been given the closest thing he was ever going to get to a compliment from the King.

"Thank you." said Kili, daring to look him in the eyes.

"Aren't you curious about how I came to possess it?" asked Thranduil, eyebrows raised. "Was it given to me as a gift? Or perhaps I won it as a spoil of war—"

"Perhaps you imprisoned the last dwarf who wore it and failed to return it to him. You do seem to be very forgetful when it comes to returning things that don't belong to you." The bite to his words was harsh and Kili regretted them the moment they left his mouth. He had the sudden vision of himself being dragged from the party and thrown out of Thranduil's kingdom into the night.

Kili rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry that was impolite of me."

Thranduil put down his glass of wine. "Well, now I can understand why your betrothed had such a hard time handling you. You're a wild little one, aren't you?"

Kili blushed hard and it had nothing to do with the wine. "I— well, I— "

Thranduil laughed greatly as his unease. "I'll tell you what… I'll promise to return all of your company's weapons to you at your departure from my kingdom if you answer a few of my questions. Do we have an agreement?"

"Yes," Kili replied, excited at the fact of his bow and Fili's twin swords being returned to him.

"Good," remarked Thranduil, swirling his finger around the rim of his glass as he thought of his first question. "What did you think you would accomplish by seeking protection in my kingdom?"

Kili sighed. "Time? Just… time to keep everything from falling apart. If I stayed in Erebor and married Sevrin, I would leave for his kingdom the next day. It would be too late for anyone to help me at that point, even Thorin himself couldn't stop my mistreatment without breaking the ties between the Iron Hills and Erebor. It would destroy everything that my marriage was trying to accomplish, worse it might throw us into civil war."

"If it was time that you wanted, why not travel farther to the towns of men or even to Rivendell? A farther distance would mean more time that your people would have to spend searching for you."

"I didn't want to go too far in case Fili— if he were to wake—" Kili ducked his head as his eyes betrayed him and started to water. He did not want anyone at the table to see and find another reason to make fun of him. A pale hand offered him a silky handkerchief.

Kili took it and flickered his watery gaze up towards Thranduil in a silent thank you. He dabbed at his eyes.

"Well, you did not travel far from your kin, nor your persecutors, so now my question is what would you have me do when men come tomorrow to persuade you out of hiding?" asked Thranduil.

"Tomorrow?" Kili's head shot up.

Thranduil nodded. "I delayed for a long as I could, but a second letter arrived from Erebor this morning asking if you had passed through my kingdom. I was required to tell your King that you came to me fearing for your safety and I offered you sanctuary. I expect they will be here at the earliest time possible and that your future husband will be leading the march."

Kili shuddered at the thought of being in Sevrin's presence again after a few days apart from him. There was no way for Kili to know what trick he might have up his sleeve, or what news he might bring from Erebor.

"I suppose it's too much to ask that you kill him on sight?" Kili joked, but the fear in his voice was evident.

Thranduil placed a hand upon Kili's own, an action that was surprisingly comforting from the haughty elven king. "I have no love for abusers or manipulative people but the most I could do is to have him imprisoned if he threatens the life of anyone in my court. Though, as I have come to see it, those types of people are very hard to trap."

"But they are very good at making other people feel trapped…" Kili played with the handkerchief in his hands.

"Your Grace, this has just arrived by a night rider at our gates." A guard spoke up beside Thranduil's chair, offering him something cinched in a velvet purse.

Thranduil took the purse from the guard. "Thank you. Is that all?"

"The rider seems to have gone through some trouble on his way here. He fell from his horse after asking for us to give this to the guest in Mirkwood. " The guard's eyes flicked to Kili.

"See to it that he is taken care of by our healers." Thranduil replied.

As the guard left, Thranduil quirked a brow at Kili. "It seems this is for you."

He handed the purse to Kili, who opened the purse and tilted it until the object inside dropped into his hand. It was a decorative wooden box, small enough that Kili could clasp it in his palm.

"Does this mean anything to you?" asked Thranduil.

At first it didn't as Kili spun it around in his hands, but upon taking a closer look at the craftsmanship, it brought back long forgotten memories from Kili's childhood. Kili's face broke into a smile. "It's a gift from Bofur, a puzzle box. He used to make them all the time for me as a child. I remember playing with them all day trying to figure out how to open it, but once I did there'd always be a message from him inside…" A moment later, a realization came to him. "He's sending me a message!"

Kili's fingers scrambled around the edges of the box, sliding the pieces back and forth, looking for the pattern that would unlock it. It was a five step sequence, almost exactly the same pattern Kili remembered Bofur designed for him as a child. Kili realised that Bofur must have done that purposely so that Kili would remember how to open it. Kili pushed the last piece into place and then he opened the lid of the box. Inside lay a small scroll of paper, about the same size as the scrolls they attached to their raven's legs to send messages. Kili unrolled it carefully, his heart racing at the three words written on it.

He is awake.

Kili felt a sob break free from him and his eyes watered anew. The people sitting around him at the table stared and whispered among themselves, but Kili didn't care. He pressed his hands into his eyes, overcome with relief.

"Fili." He smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

_ego_- Go

_I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter since we're nearing the end of this fic. There will probably be only two more chapters or so. Three at most. Some parts of this chapter I liked...Thranduil is always a fun character to write, especially when you're writing him as a good guy so that, hopefully, people will like him. Please tell me what you think of this one, especially since it was hard for me to crank out._

_Also I happened to stumble across this song called "Keep on Walking" by Gabrielle Aplin that really speaks to me for this story, at least Kili's pov of Sevrin now, AND wouldn't you know it, it has the title of my fic in it! I think it was meant to be! _

* * *

><p>The group of riders arrived at the entrance to Thranduil's halls before the sun had even cleared the snow heavy tree tops. The rays of light that burst through the gaps in the branches flashed against the metal details on their riding equipment as they came to a halt in front of the bridge. Kili and Prince Legolas stood on opposite sides of King Thranduil under the arched doorway. Tauriel stood next to Kili, ready to give quick instructions to her patrolmen, that flanked the group of royals, if need be.<p>

Kili could not find a face in the group of visitors that he recognized, though it was hard to tell when most of them had their hoods pulled low over their eyes, most likely blocking out the frosty rain that had started up early this morning. The leader of the group dismounted from his pony and pulled his hood down to reveal his face. Kili met Thranduil's eyes and nodded slightly to acknowledge the king's supreme skill of assumption, Sevrin was personally leading the group to retrieve Kili from Mirkwood. At least this was a bit of dirty work that he wouldn't risk leaving to someone else to make go away, Kili thought bitterly. It was too bad that Kili wouldn't be leaving with him. He would tell Sevrin that nothing short of Thorin riding here himself and dragging him away would change that.

Sevrin strode towards Thranduil before dipping into a low bow. Behind him his companions dismounted and dropped their hoods. Every one was a stranger to Kili. "King Thranduil, I want to thank you from the depths of my heart for accommodating Prince Kili in his time of need. King Thorin says that he will repay your generosity in whatever way he can."

"There is no need to thank me. Prince Kili came to my court seeking security and brought with him gems that used to belong to my family long ago. I took it as a sign of good will and perhaps the return of trade between our two kingdoms and accepted him into my court. So you see, it was more a transaction than an act of charity. Your prince has a very intuitive mind for politics."

If Kili wasn't watching Sevrin's face so closely he would have missed the tightening of the dwarf's smile, like he was trying to conceal his true expression. "Yes, I've always thought so."

Sevrin turned towards him, stepping forward. "I hope you've been well, my love."

He placed his hand on Kili's shoulder and Kili knew he was going to kiss him before he even started to lean in. The thought of kissing him now sent Kili's skin to crawling and he turned his cheek as far to the side as he could, his body stiffening, hoping a kiss on the cheek would be the end of it. But that kiss never came as a body stepped in between them. Kili's gaze jerked up to see Tauriel effectively blocking Sevrin's actions, one palm pressed against Sevrin's tunic, the other resting atop the hilt of her sword.

"I'm sorry my lord, but I was given orders that no one is to lay hands on the Prince of Erebor while he is under our care." replied Tauriel, her voice professional.

"Excuse me?" Sevrin snapped. "I am not just anyone. I'm his betrothed. So if you would stand aside..."

Kili couldn't help the secret smile that formed upon seeing the disgruntled look on Sevrin's face.

"My order still stand, Lord Sevrin." said Tauriel.

Sevrin looked to Thranduil for assistance, who was once again picking at his nails and looking bored with all the niceties. To anyone else it might have looked like he didn't care about anyone or anything, but Kili was beginning to think that it was all an act. "King Thranduil, really this is ridiculous—"

"These are not my orders, my Lord. As the heir to my kingdom, I trust my son to make important decisions and I am not in the habit of going over his head on such cases when he chooses to exert his authority." He stopped picking at his nails long enough to glance up at the sky that was darkening again. "Let's take this inside the hall, it looks like the rain might start up again."

Kili's happiness turned to immense confusion in a matter of seconds. _Prince Legolas' orders?_ This was the same Prince that once hated his guts, wasn't it? What would ever compel him to help Kili?

He learned the answer to that question a moment later as they were traveling back into the hall and Legolas fell back until he was walking next to Kili.

"_Ego, Tauriel_." Legolas commanded and she left his side to walk ahead of them where she was out of earshot.

"I'm sure you know that I am very fond of Tauriel and you saved her life some time ago, for that I am in your debt. I've heard you talking to my father about your betrothed and he does not sound like a kind man. As much as I can help it, he will not hurt you today. I hope you will considered the debt repaid."

Kili gave him a small smile. "I do. Thank you"

Legolas nodded. Apparently he considered there nothing more to say and walked on with him in utter silence. Kili thought he'd never understand the elf prince and what he was thinking. They entered into an octagonal sitting room held up by thick stone pillars decorated in the same woodland theme that flowed throughout the rest of the hall. Kili sat down on one of the cushioned benches and took the glass of wine offered to him by a servant. He couldn't avoid Sevrin seated on another bench in his peripheral vision. That combined with a few of Sevrin's traveling companions dispersed throughout the room, Kili felt truly cornered, rooted to the bench that he sat on.

While pleasant talk of recovering kingdoms was discussed Kili's mind flipped from thought to thought. Why had Sevrin brought so many men with him? What was their purpose here? Could Thorin really call him home without coming here in person? Could Kili refuse such an order from his king? Did he have a choice? Kili had only been a prince for a few short months and had no knowledge of what to do in a situation like this. As Thorin's heirs, he and Fili's only thoughts were what they would do once they got to Erebor. The thought of leaving it had never once crossed their minds… but Kili just had to go and do the reckless thing.

"Has Prince Kili packed his belongings for the journey home?" asked Sevrin. Kili thought his heart might have just about seized in his chest. So he didn't have a say in the matter it would seem. Thranduil, however, had the nerve to look surprised, his pale eyebrows arching.

"Home?" he repeated. "You mean you aren't here to inquire about the wellbeing of your Prince?"

"Well of course we wanted to know that Prince Kili is doing well, but the ultimate goal was to return him safely to Erebor. After all we have a wedding to attend." Sevrin's eyes bore into Kili's face, his smile smug. Kili could not stand to play anymore of Sevrin's little games and he seemed to think Thranduil would not mind his blunt talk.

"Why did Thorin not come for me himself if he wanted me to return home? Or send a trusted advisor to do it?" asked Kili.

Sevrin laughed. "Thorin is king, Kili. He is much too busy to come fetch his nephew."

"Even when that same nephew's life is under threat from someone inside his kingdom?" interjected Thranduil.

"The man responsible for the threats against the princes' lives has been apprehended and executed. Therefore Kili is no longer under threat and may return home." said Sevrin.

"Oh I'm not so certain about that." Thranduil challenged, his upper lip curling back to reveal perfect teeth. "Sometimes your biggest threat is the person sitting right next to you."

"I'm sorry?" Sevrin furrowed his brows, his expression not quite angry yet but looking well on the way to it. "What exactly are you trying to say here? I'm Kili's intended. He is under no threat from me. He chose me."

Kili stared into his lap, his glass of wine all but forgotten in his hands as he was reminded again of his poor choices.

"Yes, a fact I'm sure he deeply regrets, but you can never truly blame the young for being naive in such matters. I'm certain Kili will right everything when he can." Thranduil's wine was untouched on the table, a sight Kili had not seen since his arrival here. The elven king was almost always lounging with a glass in hand, looking completely at ease. Now that Kili looked closer he realized the King's back was as straight as a board, his eyes sharp. Kili had never seen him so… focused.

"This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Sevrin, standing up and slamming his glass against the table next to him. "Come, Kili. I'll help you pack."

Kili squeezed his hands together, wishing more than ever that Thranduil had dropped his no weapon's rule so that he could have the reassuring weight of steel on his person again. Anything to defend himself... He was horribly afraid of the repercussions of his next words but he forced them out of his throat with the hopeful notion that Prince Legolas would hold up to his promise.

"I'm not going back with you and I think it's about time you returned to my Uncle and relay a message to him. If he wants me to come home, he will have to come get me himself. Otherwise I might just be inclined to stay here as a dwarvish ambassador for King Thranduil."

Everyone in the room knew how much that would send Thorin's blood boiling.

"Please see our visitors out." Thranduil addressed his guards, who were quick to herd a fuming Sevrin and his friends out of the sitting room. "Good day, Lord Sevrin."

Kili's heart was hammering like a jack rabbit in his chest by the time the room was cleared. He grasped his drink with a shaky hand and look a long drink from it.

"You did well." Thranduil remarked, smirking at him.

"I've never stood up to him like that before," said Kili, his voice every bit as shaky as the rest of his body.

Thranduil cast him a dry look. "You put an arrow through his shoulder. I beg to differ."

Kili couldn't help smile at that.

"Speaking of which," Thranduil smiled. "I had some possessions of your delivered to your room since I wasn't sure if you were intending to leave or not. If you'd like to take them outside to practice, just for today, of course...I wouldn't oppose."

Kili blinked at him astonished. Then remembered that the king was expecting an answer and sputtered out. "Yes...yes of course. Thank you."

Kili was escorted back to his room by Tauriel. The moment he crossed the threshold into his rooms, Kili spotted a pile of weapons containing his bows, both old and new, Fili's twin swords, and a number of the company's other missing weapons laid out on the long table by the window. He immediately unsheathed the blades from Fili's custom made scabbard and ran his thumb against the blades' edges. They were in need of sharpening. Kili had no intention of bringing his brother's swords back in any condition but what they had originally been left in.

"If you'd like to come out with me now, you will have time to sharpen them as we wait for the scouts to finish on the archery range." Tauriel spoke up from the doorway.

At the prospect of spending more time out in the fresh air, surrounded by the forest scenery, Kili's excitement soared. "That sounds like a great idea."

After a moment's deliberation, Kili grabbed his old bow and replenished his stock of arrows with the ones from his new quiver. He hoisted Fili's swords under his other arm and they set out. The feel of his old bow grasped between his fingers, the catch of skin against the etchings Kili had painstaking carved into the limbs, brought back a crushing sense of homesickness that Kili wasn't expecting to feel. He remembered cheerfully sunny days sitting back to back with Fili, the two of them almost melding together as their sweat-soaked tunics clung to each other after a hard afternoon spent sparring under Dwalin's careful watch. Fili would slip his whetstone out and attend to his swords, calling out ideas for Kili's newest carving. Most had to do with an aspect of their most recent adventure. The bow slowly becoming a piece of artwork, depicting their exploits, like a tapestry might depict the grand victories of a king. Kili hoped that soon that pastime might occur against between Fili and himself, and when they were reunited wondered what carving he might add to their masterpiece to depict this grand adventure.

Kili and Tauriel exited the enclosed halls onto the rocky landscape of Mirkwood's river bed. The archery range lay in a forest clearing where the ground transitioned outward from soil to rough beige rock, making it optimal for sparring and shooting. Still, Kili was surprised to look to his right and see large boulders where the river's fast current raced and riled. Kili ventured a guess that if he were able to see farther downstream, he'd find the gate that he'd been wounded at with a poisonous arrow. His leg seemed to twinge with pain at the reminder, the dull ache acted up on occasion and Kili was told it was unlikely to ever really go away.

Kili picked one of the shorter boulders and sat himself down on top of it, his back towards the river. He took the first of Fili's two swords and angled it against his leg, sliding the whetstone up and down the length of it's edge. Though Kili did not use swords as much as his brother did, he was still raised under the rule that a good warrior always takes care of his weapons. As such, he was accustomed to the recurrent motions of sharpening a sword and, therefore, could allow his eyes to wander over to the archery range to watch the scouts go about the end of their day's training.

By the time Kili had finished with the swords, the range was cleared, leaving only a few guards, Tauriel, and himself. Tauriel had brought her bow with her and the two of them stood side by side, shooting arrows at the targets. The quietness that stretched between them was a peaceful one that Kili greatly enjoyed. It seemed that both of them understood the need for silence, the only noises they were interested in were the whoosh of the string on the release and their own slow breaths.

But it seemed that this little moment of serenity could not last forever and that moment was announced by a strangled cry from behind them. Kili and Tauriel spun around just in time to witness a guard fall to his knees, a throwing knife protruding from his neck. The elf's hands scrabbled around the wound for a moment, a desperate attempt to staunch the blood flowing past his fingers, before he unceremoniously dropped to his sides. His body it the earth, glassy eyes staring up towards the sky. They were under attack, Kili thought absentmindedly, still unable to tear his eyes away from the body in front of him. Yet, still his hands gripped his bow tighter, preparing to face whatever enemy might surge up over the hill.


	14. Chapter 14

Translations:

_Dartho Chadad!_ (elvish)- Hold fire!

_nadadith_- (khuzdul)- little brother

_sannadad_- (khuzdul)- perfect brother

**Author Note: So just a warning to everyone who's been following this story, after this chapter there will be one more chapter, chapter 15. I don't usually do concluding, happy ending, chapters but if people really want one after chapter 15 then I came make chapter 16 a nice closing chapter.**

* * *

><p>Kili's grip was so tight on his bow that he could feel the dry, cracked skin of his palm burn where it stretched and rubbed against the smoothed wood. His arm ached where he held his bow upright at the ready, the other arm kept an arrow positioned straight against the bow string. Kili was aware of Tauriel standing next to him in a pose that mimicked his own. The slain guard was still on the ground at Kili's right, the puddle of blood from his neck wound creating a halo around his upper half. In his peripheral vision Kili could see the blood had spread almost to his booted foot, he wanted to glance down to check if he was standing in it, but knew he couldn't risk the momentary distraction it would impose.<p>

Kili tried to wait in bated breath, to focus all of his instincts at the ridge, but as the seconds ticked on he couldn't stop his thoughts from circling in his head. Who was attacking them? It could be a band of orcs who had been pushed back away from the lands surrounding Erebor and sought the next place to lay siege to. After all, Bolg and his orcs had attacked their company on their journey in this same area, killing the guards at the gate, and shooting down at them from the river's edge. But… Kili reminded himself, they had had a reason for risking combat with the elves, to kill his Uncle. Surely if these were orcs even they would understand the suicide risk of attacking a kingdom of elves for sport.

As if reading his mind, Tauriel murmured to him. "That dagger is no orcish blade."

Without glancing down at it, Kili knew she was right. It was distinctively dwarvish in make. He had sensed it when he glimpsed the metal inlay design on the blade in that still moment before the guard had hit the ground. And now Kili's thoughts crashed to a halt in a whole new disturbing conclusion even as the brisk winter wind swirled around the archers' still figures. This was no orc raid… it was a kidnapping.

Kili lowered his bow, slowly, slipping the arrow from the string. Tauriel cast an alarmed glance at him and hissed, "Kili, what are you doing? Arm yourself!"

Kili extended a hand to pacify her. He glanced again at the fallen guard and knew that this death was another result of his rash words and actions. Mahal, could he not just learn to do as he was told? Damn his pride. He was tired of getting people killed because of his selfish actions. This ruthless bloodshed had to end.

Looking back towards Tauriel who was regarding him with an expression of mixed confusion and exasperation, he spoke in his best diplomatic voice. "Tell your men to hold their fire, Tauriel. This attack is from my own people, and so it should concern only me and my people. I do not want anyone else being killed for interfering."

"Kili, Prince Legolas ordered me—"

"Prince Legolas in not here at the moment," Kili cut over her. " and I am giving you an order. Please relay it to your men."

Tauriel glared hard at him for a moment, her hair whipping about her in the wind as a flame dances in a strong breeze. Kili stared her hard in the eyes in return, daring her to disobey him. Finally, Tauriel turned towards the two men farther up by the river's edge with something that sounded like '_Valar help you'_ hissed under her breath.

"_Dartho chadad!_" She called out in a clear voice, and as if on queue the archers perched ahead of them loosened the tension on their bowstrings and lowered them a fraction. The elves' expressions of apprehension were not as reassuring as Kili would have liked, but at least the possibility of one of his own race getting shot the moment he crested the edge had lessened.

It seemed that Kili now had the floor as everyone's gazes looked back on him expectantly. Well, here goes nothing.

"Sevrin, you can come out now!" He shouted, turning in a half circle to sweep his eyes through the trees that surrounded the river bank, looking for any sign of movement. "The elves will not fire on you and your men, and I hope that you will show the same restraint."

The figures emerged seamlessly, in the same way that shadows disappear into the light. In pairs of two they slid out from between the trees or scrambled up the rocky terrain to stand atop the boulders, eyes locked with the elven archers. Kili's eyes were immediately drawn to Sevrin. He didn't stop there, but jumped down from his rock and made his way closer to Kili.

"Look at you commanding a band of elves." He said, sheathing his sword across his back with an ease that displayed just how strong he really was. "Living up to everyone's expectations I see."

Kili did not rise to the bait. Let Sevrin make his brutish remarks, Kili would just have to take the higher, more diplomatic, road. "What is it going to take for you to leave here without killing anyone else, Sevrin?"

Sevrin grinned at him. "Well I thought that would have been obvious by now. Leave here with me and my—" he was interrupted by the clatter of displaced rocks as a pair of late comers crested the hill to join the rest of their crew. Sevrin rolled his eyes and turned back to face Kili.

"Idiots." he growled.

"I've already told you that I'm not going to marry you." Kili reminded Sevrin. "Nothing is going to change that."

Sevrin snorted in that derisive way of his that always felt like a slap to Kili's face. "I think my men could put that to the test." With a signal from Sevrin, the dwarfs in question started descending down towards Kili's standing position. Kili was unceremoniously reminded of when the wargs were set upon them after their flight from goblin town. They had closed in on them in that same V formation. Beasts couldn't be reasoned with, Kili reassured himself, but men could.

Kili took in the worn clothing these dwarves wore. While they were stitched in the geometric patterns of their households, the embellishment was frayed and dirty like they had worn that same garment for many months. And the rest of their attire looked like it had been picked up along the way.

"I can see that many of these dwarves are sellswords, loyal to nothing but the coins in your purse. I'm sure you offered them quite a nice sum to publicly attack their prince. How much do you think it would cost me to change their minds?"

Around him, the dwarves slowed to a stop, glancing uncertainly between Sevrin and Kili. Kili watched Sevrin's expression morph from anger, to amusement, to something much more that made Kili want to shrink away . He obviously hadn't been expecting Kili to put up a fight, but didn't seem to mind it much. Kili remembered that day he had pressed his carving knife into the older dwarf's side, how his blood had pumped through him with an equal mixture of fear and rage, and how Sevrin had looked almost lustful at his display of defiance. Deja vu struck him hard in the gut.

"I doubt any amount you have on your person could match what I've already given them."

"No," Kili agreed, sliding back a step as the dwarves started creeping forward towards him again, then continued louder, "But I have an entire treasury at my disposal under the mountain. I'm sure that any dwarves who were to escort their prince back home safely would be paid a great sum. Triple whatever this lord offered you." Kili pointed an accusing finger at Sevrin.

"So, what will it be?" Kili waited in tense silence for their answer, aware all the time of Tauriel and her men quietly tensing their bowstrings. Even with their intervention, they were still outnumbered.

There was a subtle exchanging of glances between the group of dwarves. Kili despaired that none of them would be bold enough to make a decision, when one thicky bearded dwarf stepped forward. "Aye," he grunted. "I will go with you."

He came to stand by Kili's left, axe thumping to the ground, handle down, in front of him. And just like that, two more dwarves grunted their assent and stumbled over to Kili's side. Still, Kili did the math in his head, three elves plus four dwarves, himself included, against the remaining party. He supposed their chances were good, if slim. Luckily, Sevrin needed him alive and Kili was not restrained by such necessities. He would make sure to cause as much harm as possible before he was incapacitated.

Sevrin drew his sword out of his sheath, his eyes dark and his smile even darker. "After I've killed your friends and made you mine, I'm going to greatly enjoy breaking that strong will of yours."

"You're have to kill me before that happens, my lord." called a voice from Sevrin's group. Kili's arrow slipped from between his fingers to clatter onto the rocky ground, his mouth suddenly dry as his eyes scanned the hooded figures in front of him.

It couldn't be. He surely would have seen… _there_. _Movement_. Kili and Sevrin both sucked in a shocked gasp as the figure at the back threw back his hood, as did his companion next to him. Kili registered Dwalin's bushy brows and shaved head instantly, but it was at a glance as his eyes were drawn to the figure that had spoken. It was no wonder Kili had not recognized him, his hair was tied back with a leather thong and pasted with mud to disguise it's telltale golden shine. Fili's complexion was pale, which had Kili questioning how he'd managed to ride here at such speed without worsening his condition, but his grip on the sword he carried was strong and his expression determined and Kili knew nothing short of Sevrin's demise would stop him.

"How did you—" Sevrin sputtered with rage as Fili and Dwalin approached. The other dwarves parted before them, seeming to realise that they should not interfere with this matter. Perhaps it was because Fili was crown prince, but Kili thought it had more to do with the fact that Fili looked like he would cut down any dwarf who stood in his path. It seemed he already had, Kili noted the dark stain on the traveling cloak Fili wore. Dwalin's held the same stain, still shiny in the sunlight. It seemed Sevrin's late comers were not his at all.

"If you had brought royal guards they would have known to watch their rear." Fili shrugged. "I guess that's the price you pay when buying sellswords."

He came to a stop in front of Sevrin and Kili seemed to be unconsciously comparing them both as he stood watching them. His handsome brother and the man he'd once compared him to. He could see nothing of that likeness now. Though both of their hair was blonde, Sevrin's was a paler, colder, blonde than Fili's golden locks. Sevrin's taller frame was also held stiffly erect, and the fine clothes he wore only enhanced the high born attitude that clung to him. He was nothing like Fili and Kili thought it insulting that he'd ever told Fili such a thing.

"So the crown prince of Erebor has come to rescue his brother from me with one man?" Sevrin gave a cruel laugh. "Some call you brave. I'm inclined to call you foolish. Tell me how are you going to take on all of my men?"

Fili's mouth was a tight line. "I'm not. Only a coward would hide behind his men in a matter such as this. We can settle this with a duel—"

"Fili, no!" Kili stared wide eyed at his brother, but Fili was not looking at him.

Instead he continued on, speaking only to Sevrin. "Winner gets Kili. Agreed?"

"No! Not agreed. At all!" Kili snapped, marching towards them, and thinking to himself that he sounded a lot like Bilbo when Thorin got the hobbit going. Sevrin's sword came up to intercept him, but Kili smacked it away with the back of his bow. He advanced on Fili until he was right in his face. "I'm sorry brother but I think that blow to your head might have knocked your senses clean out your other ear. Nobody is going to 'get' me because I am not some prize that is to be won."

Fili's brow creased in that worried way of his. "I know that, _nadadith_, but I've let you down. I need to right my wrongs."

"What are you talking about, Fili?" asked Kili.

"I promised to protect you from all things," stated Fili. "but now look at all that I've let happen to you!" Fili waved a hand around them.

Kili clasped his hand to Fili's dirty cheek, leaning forward to touch their foreheads together as his eyes sprung up with tears. "Oh, _sannadad_. You've not let me down. This was going to happen whether you were conscious for it or not."

"Mahal, now I'm glad I don't have a brother." interjected Sevrin. "I would never be able to put up with such sentimental sap like this."

Fili pulled away from Kili's hold with a glare in Sevrin's direction. "No," he snapped. "I don't think you would. You don't seem to possess a kind or nurturing bone in your body."

Sevrin tapped a finger against his lips in thought. "I seem to recall the old saying goes 'Aule created dwarves to be stone-hard and unyielding to the powers of Melkor'. I wonder what he would think of you two blubbering to each other like dwarflings."

There was a pattering of hushed snickers from the dwarves around them, that quickly died out from the brothers' joint glares. " My, my Fili," Sevrin continued, undisturbed. " perhaps I was wrong about you. I'm beginning to question if I should support a prince with such… shortcomings."

"Then let's put this to a duel so that I can prove you wrong. Agreed?"

Sevrin nodded. "Agreed. Form a circle by the archery field!"

Kili glanced at Fili's pale complexion again and fell back to walk next to Dwalin as they made their way to the archery field where the ground was flatter. In a quiet voice he asked Dwalin, "Is he well enough to be doing this?"

Dwalin gave a gruff laugh like he was entirely done with dealing with the line of Durin and their stubbornness. "The lad has already ripped his stitches by riding here but I bandaged his torso tight enough to pressurize the wound for now. I don't suppose you could ask your elvish lass to speak some healing magic over him before the fight?"

Kili shot a glance over his shoulder at Tauriel, whose face was puckered in a highly disapproving expression. "She doesn't look in the mood to do me any favors at the moment."

"No, I guess not." Kili was jerked to attention when Dwalin grasped Kili's arm firmly. "You must act as Fili's second, lad. This duel is a family matter and I'm afraid I'm not close enough kin to apply."

"Me? Isn't that against the rules of the duel. After all, I'm the person they're trying to win."

"Nay, lad. The rules only say that in a duel of family matters, any close kin may stand as second. If Fili should fall trying to win you, then you will fight to win yourself. And if you both lose, well… at least you lose knowing that you did all you could."

"Alright." Kili nodded. Ahead of them the circle had formed with Sevrin standing inside at one end. Fili stood outside the ring, still, rolling his shoulders. He slid the double edged blade from his back and moved to enter. Kili caught his sleeve before he could, though.

He tugged him away from the circle, towards the boulders that edged the field. "It would not be right to duel without the proper weapons." He stooped down to retrieve Fili's twin swords from where he left them resting against the stone. Fili stared awestruck at his favorite blades, his fingers slid along the blade and pulled back with a sharp gasp. Blood oozed from a cut on his fingertips.

"I sharpened them for you." Kili said, with an apologetic smile. Kili exchanged Fili's broadsword for his twin falchions. "This one will be mine, as your second."

Fili stared hard at Kili, looking like he wanted to object but knew he would not win this argument. Instead he wrapped Kili in a hug, mindful of his swords.

"Good luck, brother." Kili's words were muffled into Fili's tunic, but he knew Fili understood him.

"And you, brother." Fili released him and walked back towards Sevrin, Kili following at his heels. The ring of dwarves and elves closed around him, locking them in and Kili could only think they would need all the luck they could get.


	15. Chapter 15

The sun was high in the sky by the time the duel was set to take place. Frost from the ground melted into reflective puddles that rippled and splashed as the opponents took their places. Kili took his place behind Fili, his borrowed sword resting against his hip, steadied there by his right hand. There was a sound of grunting dwarves and the shuffling of feet, followed by a gruff exclamation of "Move, yeh thick headed dolt!". Kili turned around just in time to catch Dwalin elbowing his way into the circle position behind his left shoulder.

"If you want a proper viewing of the fight, Mister Dwalin, I think it would be better to stand along the side." Kili remarked.

"Aye, lad but then I couldn't instruct Fili on what he is doing wrong. And it is guaranteed that he will do something wrong, having never fought injured before."

All of a sudden Kili felt a welling up of emotions inside of him. He had always thought of Dwalin as a second uncle of sorts, but he assumed that parental attitude came from Dwalin's friendship to Thorin and the oath he swore to protect their line. There were many times Dwalin had gotten them out of trouble as children and only after they were safely wrapped together in a blanket by the fire, did he tell Thorin what they had done. Kili had never appreciated the risk he took by not telling Thorin immediately where they had run off to. For surely some of the place they explored, and were fetched away from, warranted a group of men to travel through safely. Yet Dwalin went alone to see them safely home as soon as possible. Even now, when it would have been so much easier to tell Thorin that his oldest nephew was planning to escape Erebor, still injured, and go off after his brother, he only followed him and watched his prince's back.

"Are you feeling alright, Kili lad?" Dwalin's thick eyebrows pulled together with concern.

Kili nodded and quickly dabbed at his eyes. "I'm just glad you are here, Dwalin. I don't think I would be able to… to—" Kili broke off with a sniffle.

Dwalin raised up a hand to silence anything else he was trying to say. "Hush now. Just you focus on the duel. Focus on Fili."

Kili nodded weakly. His mind should be on Fili, like Dwalin's was. He needed to be alert if the time should come to take over as his second. And yet, the more he tried to focus his thoughts on the here and now, his thoughts crept towards the dire future. Fili was the best swordsman Kili knew. If he fell, what chance did Kili himself face against an opponent like Sevrin? Kili could not even win with him in a battle of words, how was he expected to win against a dwarf that was so much stronger and older than him?

Kili jerked backwards with a tight gasp at the sound of steel meeting steel, not even realizing the duel had started, being so lost in his own thoughts. Dwalin caught him against his chest. Kili hurried a quiet 'sorry' to his old weapons master, his attention now fully fixed on his brother meeting Sevrin blow for blow.

The pair of dwarves came together with another clash of swords and backed away to dance around each other, skimming the edges of the circle. Fili's eyes were intently fixed on Sevrin as he twirled his twin swords, one and then another, to loosen the tension in his wrists. Fili's pacing slowed and seemed to juggle between left and right as he prepared for a strike. Kili could sense that he was going to lunge in on his left a second before the actual strike took place. It was exactly as Kili envisioned it in his head, Fili's left sword was held angled across his middle, his right sword thrusting low and quick underneath. Sevrin was not to be taken by surprise, however, parrying one of Fili's swords and throwing his torso sideways so that Fili's right sword stabbed through nothing but the loose fabric of his tunic.

Sevrin smiled his sharp toothed smile and threw his sword in an arc that dislodged Fili's sword and sent him stumbling back a step. The dwarf lord's counter move was immediate and ruthless, striking down powerful two handed, hacking, blows that pushed Fili backwards under their pressure.

"Tired already, my prince? Perhaps you should sit down and rest awhile." An unanticipated underhand blow sent Fili reeling. Kili breathed sharply as Fili lost his footing and sprawled hard on his back on the icy ground.

"No." Kili was already stepping forward, ready to tackle Sevrin if he had to. He would be too late, Kili realized dimly as Dwalin tried to catch his arm and Sevrin snarled, his sword coming down savagely where Fili's body lay.

Fili tucked his arms against his chest, swords parallel on either side of his head, and rolled to the right. He was scrabbling to his feet before Sevrin's sword impacted with the dirt.

Fili cracked one of his reckless smiles that always had the lasses at home swooning. "That five second respite was more than enough for me, my lord. How kind of you to offer."

Fili shed his overcoat and tossed it aside. They began to circle again.

Kili breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back into his position in the circle. It was encouraging to see Fili display his usual boldness, but Kili wondered how long it would last. Already Kili could glimpse the russet colored stain seeping into the fabric of his brother's tunic and knew Dwalin's bandages were coming loose from all the movement. A sense of urgency surged within Kili as he realised that Fili would need to end this duel as soon as possible or else his injuries would allow Sevrin to get the better of him. He did not consider himself very proficient with medical treatment, but Kili understood enough to know blood loss was not Fili's friend at the moment.

As the fighting continued, Kili was increasingly aware of his brother's physical condition. Fili maintained good form for another couple minutes in the ring, if not slightly below his usual sublime form. It was only when his tunic was wet and heavy with blood, did he start to falter. He parried a blow from Sevrin and stumbled backwards, one of his hands trying to press against his wound without relinquishing the grip on his sword.

"Make yourself ready," Dwalin urged Kili, before shouting over his shoulder. "Fili, call for you second to take your place!"

"Yes, go mighty lion prince," sneered Sevrin. "and let your little brother fight in your stead."

Fili shook his head and stumbled forward. He took his bloodied hand away from his wound and raise his other sword upright. It did not go unnoticed how his body crumpled a bit in pain.

"Fili!" Dwalin barked in his warning tone that usually had Fili and Kili snapping to attention. It seemed it did not have its usual effect today, for the glare that Fili sent Dwalin's way was positively mutinous. Dwalin made a shocked noise low in his throat.

"This is my fight, Dwalin" said Fili. He moved to the outer edge of the circle and thrust one of his swords into the ground so that it stuck there like a post. He returned to Sevrin, swinging his one remaining sword in experimental strokes with both hands. He nodded to Sevrin as if to say, let's continue. Kili could barely stand to watch.

Kili realised he had never seen Sevrin practice with a sword before, and therefore had no idea what his fighting style was like. But from watching this duel between him and his brother, he had a pretty good idea of how he worked now. The loss of one of Fili's swords and his worrying injuries seemed to give Sevrin a second wave of adrenaline, like a warg once it smells the blood of it's prey. Along with this renewed energy came more of Sevrin's taunts. Kili assumed he was trying to draw his brother into a furious rage that would open him to some mistake or weakness. Kili would like to say with confidence that his brother was too level headed for such a trick to work, but with the state he was in now, nothing was certain.

"My, my. Is this all the great line of Durin has to offer? It is no wonder your line was nearly exterminated."

Kili swore sharply under his breath, the urge to run out there and lob Sevrin's head off with his own sword was a tempting thought at the moment. It seemed Dwalin was not as composed.

"You'd best shut that slandering mouth of yours before I thrash you, laddie." He called, but the endearing term did nothing to lessen the dangerous tone to his voice.

Sevrin turned his cool gaze on Dwalin, and it still made Kili's skin crawl even when that look wasn't directed at him. "I was told that you were a mighty warrior, Mister Dwalin. I'm afraid all I see now is a glorified nanny."

Fili chose that moment to charge at Sevrin's exposed back with an animalistic sound that Kili had only ever heard once before in his lifetime. Fili and Kili had once watched the older dwarves of their village take down a black bear that was wandering too close to the village for safe hunting. The bear had been cornered against a rock face, a deep axe wound steadily dripping blood from it's side. In a final attack before it's death, the bear had lashed out wildly with its paws, a wailing roar escaping from its maw, long claws catching on anything within reach. Kili realized with a horrified dread that it was nothing but a death throe.

The slash that Fili administered was, if anything, sloppy and swatted away easily by Sevrin. Fili could not seem to keep his feet after that. He collapsed on to one knee, thrusting his sword up high over his head to stop the downward blow from Sevrin.

This had Kili pleading now. "Call me as you second. Fili, let me take your place." Fili did not seem to hear him, too focused on blocking the strikes that Sevrin rained down on him. "I'm not going to stand here and watch you die, brother! Call me as your second!"

The next intercepted blow seemed to be the last as Fili's strength abandoned him altogether, his body thumping against the packed ground. Dwalin cried out behind him as Sevrin raised his sword high above his head for the killing blow, a bright glint to his eyes. Kili's sword fell from his numb fingers, a numbness that he could not afford to have spread through the rest of his limbs. His feet tore up icy dirt in his mad dash forward even as he eyes followed the arch of Sevrin's sword. Down, down, down, until it was stopped short with a startled exhale of breath.

Even with his body thrown over his brother's motionless form and a sword held not but a few inches from his upturned face, Kili could not help relishing in Sevrin's shocked expression. It reminded him of playing chess, the way with a sudden move your opponent's future strategies were eliminated. And if Kili couldn't just help thinking, _check_ and _mate_.

"Careful there, lover. You nearly decapitated your fiance." panted Kili. He was grinning in the wake of a possible suicide attempt, but couldn't seem to stop himself as it was the most alive he'd felt in awhile.

"I don't know what you're grinning about but I'll ask you to move out of the way. Your brother entered this duel and now he will die here."

"You forgot I'm his second."

"And he hasn't called for you!" snapped Sevrin.

"We'll see about that." Kili shook Fili's shoulder forcefully. His brother's eyes were blinking sluggishly up at the sky. There was still hope of rousing him enough for a response as long as he kept his eyes open. "Fili, do you call me as you're second?"

"Isn't this breaking some kind of rule?" Sevrin called, eyes searching the group around them for an answer.

"By all means," Kili looked back up at him. " continue what you were doing before I got here. I just hope you are willing to kill me as well."

"Don't make me drag you aside." Sevin warned him but for once Kili felt no threatening chill from it.

" Oh, I'd like to see you try." remarked Kili. "Something tells me that my will to stay is stronger than your will to remove me."

Giving up hope of rousing his brother the traditional way, Kili gave Fili a strong thump to his chest. Fili arched up with a strangled cry, staring wide eyed at Kili.

"Call for your second, brother. It's time that my fiance and I engaged in some pre-marital bloodshed."

Fili's eyes drooped closed again, but not before he rasped out a barely heard, "_second_."

And so it was settled. Fili was carried away by Dwalin and another dwarf and Kili was handed back his sword. It did not go unnoticed when Tauriel stepped out of her spot and moved to Fili's side, placing delicate hands upon his torso, whispering her elvish magic over him. She looked up long enough for a knowing glance to cross the distance between them, then resumed her work.

Kili breathed out slowly, shaking out his arms. He wondered if the rules to the duel had changed now. After all, Fili and Sevrin had been fighting to the death but Sevrin couldn't rightly fight Kili to the death. A dead fiance was not a useful fiance. Did this give Kili an advantage over the older dwarf? It wasn't until the duel actually had begun, that Kili realized he did have an advantage. _Two_, in fact, he he thought about it. Kili had watched Sevrin duel already meaning that he already knew who the other dwarf handled a sword while Kili was certain Sevrin had never watched him duel during his time spent at Erebor, only observing Kili shooting at the range. And Sevrin must be tiring with all of the hacking blows he rained down on Fili in an effort to defeat him. Kili reasoned that there was a very good chance he might be able to defeat his opponent.

For once, Kili thought, learning to fight with a brother who could wield two swords was finally coming to some use. Kili had learned long ago that when someone could attack you from two different angles it was best not to stand still and let yourself get hacked to pieces. He used this to his advantage now, leading, a tiring, Sevrin in a dance around the ring, parrying his blows and spinning outward and away from him before the dwarf could set his stance and strike again.

"Stop dancing around like a elvish bastard and fight me!" spat Sevrin, sweat slicking his pale hair to his brow.

Some of the elvish guards that Kili had within eyesight looked like they took offense at that, if their stiff postures were anything to go by, but Kili did not have long to examine them for within the next moment he was blocking another blow so strong that Sevrin's blade slide nearly down the hilt of Kili's blade before he could muster enough strength to force it back. If nothing else Kili admired Sevrin's brute strength. A thought Kili nearly bite his tongue on when a full bodied swing from Sevrin sent Kili's sword spiraling clean out of his hand.

Kili thought Sevrin's smile might have returned but he was much too busy ducking and sidestepping sword swings to examine further. With a half minded plan forming in his head, Kili started to lead Sevrin in a dance around the circle again, much to the other dwarf's annoyance. Kili continued on his strategic path until he estimated he was within throwing distance of Tauriel. Sparing her only a second of a glance to make sure she was watching him, even if her expression was full of dread, he shouted out to her.

"Throw me a dagger! Quick!" And oh, if Fili were only conscious enough to see how quickly she reacted this time. It sailed through the air, the flash of elvish steel against sunlight. Kili caught the dagger but the distraction was long enough for Sevrin to slice through the skin at his ribs. Kili staggered back with an exclamation of pain, his free hand pressing to the area where blood dripped freely down his side.

Kili spun past the next thrust and took possibly the only chance he would get. With a savage cry he clung to Sevrin's back, one arm wrapping itself across his chest, his other thrusting Tauriel's dagger low and deep into Sevrin's exposed back.

Sevrin screamed and thrashed in his hold, looking like he might try to throw Kili off his back. Kili twisted the dagger, sharply, earning another guttural scream.

"That was for my brother." Kili whispered in his ear, before Sevrin's knees gave out and he fell to the ground, his hands worrying over the wound at his back but ultimately too afraid to pull the dagger free.

Shaking with painful spasms that he tried to hold back, Sevrin glared at him. "Well? Finish it already! What are you waiting for?"

A dwarf retrieved his sword for him, and Kili took it, adjusting his stance until the blade was extended above Sevrin's prone neck. The blonde dwarf in front of his feet closed his eyes and Kili raised the heavy sword into the air. Kili raised the sword, but did not strike down. He stared at Sevrin's neck, drew an imaginary line in his head. He pictured cutting through that flesh, muscle, and bone, cleaving the dwarf's head from his body. He imagined Lord Runbar being tried and dying in a manner much the same. An innocent dwarf, perhaps not in everything, but surely innocent of treason against the crown. Did Lord Runbar have a family? Were they mourning his loss, somewhere? Wondering how their husband, or father, could have done such a thing? Kili thought that if such a family existed, then they deserved to learn the truth.

He handed the sword back to the dwarf who stood beside him. "Tauriel, if you could spare some of your strength to heal Lord Sevrin of his wounds. By no means feel the need to heal him of all pains, just enough that he will not die on our way back to Erebor."

"Of course, Prince Kili." Tauriel touched his shoulder gently, with an approving smile, before kneeling behind Sevrin.

"Why?" Croaked Sevrin, leaning around Tauriel's form.

Kili looked down on him without feeling. "Because you might have deceived me into thinking you were someone you're not, but I will not let anyone else be fooled. The truth must come out. And by your trial and death an example will be set, so that this never happens again. We will all be the wiser afterward."

Sevrin did not say anything else after that, but Kili thought there was not much else to be said. Kili then searched out another elvish guard. "If you would be so kind as to ask King Thranduil for use of one of his prison cells for the night I would appreciate it."

The guard nodded and disappeared into the hall. By now the dwarves who were forming the circle had broken up into groups, looking out of place and uncomfortable. Kili found the ones who had offered him their aid before, huddled in a small group.

"You offered to bring me back to Erebor safely before. I wonder if you would keep that promise now, but, more importantly, do me the favor of guarding my prisoner on the way home?"

"Whatever you wish, my Prince."

_Home_. Kili had never thought he would ever call Erebor such a place. It might not be safe, maybe it never would be, but it was where the people he loved more than anything lived and it would be home so long as they lived there. And he would do all that he could to protect them.

Kili looked around him, thinking about the next task that must be dealt with. His side flared with pain and he wavered. Dwalin caught his elbow. "Come lad. There is a soft bed waiting for you and a long journey home tomorrow. That is all you need to worry about for now. The rest will be sorted out with time."

He nodded, all thoughts abandoning him at the thought of sleeping. Dwalin would take care of them as he always did. Kili's duties as prince and betrothed were finished for now. He caught Fili's hand in his as two men lifted him up on a stretcher.

His brother opened his eyes with a weary smile, squeezing his hand gently. "So," he murmured. "What shall we carve into your bow for this exciting adventure?"

Kili smiled the most genuine smile in what felt like ages. Suddenly, everything was as it always was. Two brothers and another grand adventure.


End file.
